Guyana chronicle epaper 05 20 2017

Diamond bond accused take slippery route Page 9

Flood relief No. 104918

SATURDAY MAY 20, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

… Plane loads of supplies dispatched to flood-hit Region 8 … health teams mobilised, donations welcomed

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No place for partisan interests Page 2

… President tells municipal confab

Shaneka Elliott London

Linden woman killed by abusive husband

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The Civil Defence Commission has rushed aid to flood-affected residents of Chenapau and other villages of Region Eight. Health teams have also been mobilised as Government intensifies its relief programme

GRDB ‘big six’ charged

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… suspect shot, arrested in jungle

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

No place for partisan interests … President tells municipal confab

By Telesha Ramnarine COMMUNITIES Minister Ronald Bulkan on Friday lauded the hosting of the inaugural municipal conference by the Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM), but did not hesitate to voice his disappointment with the absence of certain mayors and other municipal officers.

These individuals were absent, not by choice, but as a result of orders handed down to them by their selfish political ‘masters’, said Bulkan, whom he contended are engaged in an imaginary

struggle. “Those mayors very much wanted to be part of this historic activity; they were an integral part, over many months, in the planning of this conference. Their absence sadly is an enforced one; an imposition that is the product of warped thinking. They are not being asked to serve and represent the interests of their residents, but rather, masters located elsewhere; selfish individuals, engaged in imaginary struggle,” said the minister.

The two-day conference organised by GAM under the theme, “Positioning municipalities as critical partners

in national development,” opened at the Marriott Hotel and will continue today at the Regency Suites Hotel. The conference showcases the wealth of each of Guyana’s nine municipalities, creates opportunities for networking, and provides a forum for discussion of key local government issues affecting people.

Pivotal to the agenda is also the advancement towards capital towns.

Sadly, the mayors and other officers of the Rose Hall, Corriverton, and Anna Regina municipalities could not benefit from this “historic” event that seeks

steadfastness will be to the benefit of residents,” he said.

Following his presentation, Bulkan told the Chronicle that the behaviour of the officers is beginning to develop into a pattern as earlier this year, they had similarly boycotted an activity that was focused on regional leadership.

“This is a continuation of the very attitude. The municipalities of Rose Hall, Corriverton and Anna Regina have evidently received similar instructions not to participate in this conference,” he expressed, adding: “That attitude represents being wedded to the concept of central control, and that is outdated and irrelevant; it does not belong in a modern construct. It is not in consonance with the philosophy of this administration, which is to empower our local democratic organs in keeping with constitutional provisions to be able to execute their responsibilities. It’s a sad affair.”

NO PLACE FOR PARTISAN OR POLITICAL INTERESTS Meanwhile, in his ad-

dress to the conference, President David Granger said that the nine municipalities which are established by the Constitution of Guyana, must demonstrate to the people whom they have sworn to serve, the values of representativeness, inclusiveness and effectiveness,as he noted that there is no place for partisan or political interests and the will of the people must take priority.

The President was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the conference. The Head of State said that the municipalities are responsible to their constituents who have elected them to office and as such, the will of the people is paramount.

He noted that they must exercise the authority, which was given to them by the people, in a democratic manner. “Once you are elected, almost in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, your responsibilities go to your constituents. Your responsibilities go to the people of the whole town, of the whole city and at the regional level,

your responsibilities are to the people of that region,” President Granger said.

The President told the municipal office holders that they cannot succeed in politics if partisan or personal interests are placed ahead of the “popular will,” as he reminded that they have been elected to serve the people and as such, their performance will determine whether they are re-elected.

Speaking to his vision of having capital towns established in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three), Demerara-Mahaica (Region Four) and Mahaica- Berbice (Region Five), the President told the regional officials that a concerted effort is required to make the towns thriving commercial hubs. In this regard, he noted that regional agricultural and commercial exhibitions can play an important role in developing these three regions, along with Bartica, Lethem and Mabaruma. President Granger said that people are looking to their municipalities for leadership and vision and this must be provided.

The Head of State expressed

President David Granger in discussion with Mayor of Linden Mr. Carwyn Holland at the inaugural Municipal Conference 2017 to rebuild the local government system, the minister posited.

REMAIN FOCUSED Although they were ordered not to participate, Minister Bulkan urged them to remain focused and not to give up their struggle.

He encouraged them to think of their residents and communities; to be leaders and not followers. “Your

A section of the gathering at the conference the hope of seeing the capital towns becoming hubs for eco-tourism, even as Guyana continues to pursue a ‘green’ economy, with each town adding value to the products that they have, making them attractive for tourists.

“Once the regional chairmen, once the mayors realise what a gem they have on their hands, they realise they have been sitting on their hands.

People want to come and see our flora and fauna and they often say the Kanuku Mountains have more species of birds than the whole of Western Europe…that’s what mayors do, look for business opportunities,” President Granger said.

Speaking on the transition of Guyana to a ‘green’ state, President Granger said ‘greenness’ is not a fad, See page 8

Flood relief GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

By Alva Solomon

AS SEVERAL indigenous communities in Region Eight remain under as much as 25 feet of water, several plane loads of supplies have been dispatched to assist in flood relief efforts.

The floods have been caused by persistent rainfall over the past two weeks, which resulted in several waterways surpassing their optimum levels. In addition, reports are that the Ireng River, which lies on Guyana’s border with Brazil, overtopped and as a result several nearby villages were inundated.

Several government agencies, including the Ministry of State, Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) are coordinating in relief efforts. In addition, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) is also assisting residents in the flood-affected areas.

In an immediate response following a meeting with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Chairman of Region Eight, Bonaventure Fredricks, said he was pleased with the administration’s response to the crisis thus far. “Today the

A statement from the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Friday noted that six villages in Region Eight, (Potaro-Siparuni), have been severely flooded as a result of excessive rainfall in the south and south-western parts of the region in recent days.

The affected villages are Kaibarupai, Waipa, Chenapau, Sand Hills Settlement, Itabac and Kanapang. According to the DPI, Minister Harmon on Friday convened an emergency meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency with Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings; Director-General of the CDC, Col Chabillal Ramsarup; Region Eight Regional Chairman, Bonventure Fredericks, and other agencies to coordinate the government’s response, which is being led by the CDC. “The government deeply empathises with the residents who have suffered losses and dislocation as a result of this very unfortunate and unusual flooding. The government commits all the necessary resources to ensure that relief is brought to every single resident in every affected community.” Harmon noted.

… Plane loads of supplies dispatched to flood-hit Region 8

… health teams mobilised, donations welcomed Orinduik. The DPI noted that the CDC is establishing a Forward Operations Centre at Orinduik, from where relief supplies and flood kits will be transported by boat to the affected villages which are inaccessible by air. An additional four flights with food and relief supplies will be dispatched to Chenapau and Orinduik today, Saturday.

The APA on Friday morning dispatched supplies to the area. Such efforts were supported by the Food For the Poor organization, which handed over supplies to the body to assist in relief efforts.

APA personnel were on the ground at Waipa assisting those affected by the floods.

SITUATION ON THE GROUND Thus far, the situation on the ground on Friday was that several villages were under high volumes of water. Those affected are:

Personnel from Food for the Poor and the Amerindian Peoples Association loading relief supplies destined for Region Eight on Friday

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; Minister in the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings; Chair of the CDC, Chabilall Ramsaroop; PS in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Alfred King; Region Eight Regional Chairman, Bonaventure Fredricks; and Director of Public Information, Imran Khan, during a meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency government’s response has been heartening. I welcome this. So many people have come on board,” Fredericks said. He added that he has held several meetings with top officials, who have all pledged their continued support to assist him and other regional officials to overcome the challenges. “This is heartening; those who have been affected can look forward for assistance. We plan to keep our plans open to everyone,” Fredericks said.

The DPI stated that the CDC has conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas. There have been no reported deaths, missing persons or serious injuries. It noted that the Ministry of Public Health has received reports of some cases of diarrhoea in the village of Chenapau. This information has been corroborated by the APA staff on the ground.

A total of three flights with supplies was dispatched on Friday to Chenapau and

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-Sand Hill Settlement – The village is under approximately 25 feet of water. Five houses have been washed away and 10 houses are under water. The village has a population of 60 persons.

-Waipa – 95% of the village is flooded and under water at varying depths from five feet to 15 feet. A total of 423 persons reside there.

-Kaibarupai–The village is under approximately 10 feet of water. Two houses have been washed away and

the health post, church and cemetery are all under water.

Some 200 persons live there.

-Chenapau – the entire village was flooded. Fifteen houses were under water on Friday at the village, which has a population of 620 persons.

Details on two additional villages -Itabac and Kanapang – will be updated, the DPI noted in its statement.

Reports are that the water level has receded about two feet in the Potaro River near Chenapau.

Elsewhere, the village of Kaibarupai has not suffered flooding previously, while the level of flooding in other villages far exceeds previous situations of minor flooding.

The villages are located mainly in valley areas, where the water from the excessive rainfall pooled and resulted in the excessive flooding, the DPI stated. Villagers have relocated to higher ground in close proximity to the various villages.

A Ministry of Public Health team comprising representatives from the Epidemiology Department, Surveillance Department, Environmental Health Department, Regional Health Services Department Vector Control Department, Disease Control Department, along with a representative of PAHO is preparing to visit the affected villages. This team will support the work being done by the regional health team, which is already in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, on Friday afternoon headed a team to Region Eight to provide support and relief to the flood-affected communities. According to the ministry, based on needs assessments carried out by staff on the ground, the ministry was able to acquire critical items for distribution to those affected.

Further monitoring will be

done as INET Communications is collaborating with the ministry to provide Internet connectivity on the ground, so that communication links are maintained between the ministry and the CDC on a regular basis.

Members of the public who wish to make donations to the flood-relief efforts are asked to do so through the CDC headquarters on Thomas Road. CDC telephone numbers are 226 1114, 226 8815, 226 1027, 225 5847 and email info@ cdc.gy and opsandtrg.cdcgy@gmail.com FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF ITEMS WHICH ARE REQUIRED: Water, bleach, biscuits, rice, flour, sugar, salt, powdered milk, cooking oil, margarine, toilet paper, matches, canned foods, potatoes, tea bags, soap and soap powder.

According to the Hydromet Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, this weekend, cloudy to occasionally overcast skies with occasional showers, with possible rain and isolated thundershowers can be expected over all administrative regions. Conditions are expected to improve during the afternoon periods.

In addition, rainfall is expected to range between 20.0 mm and 50.0 mm (0.79 to 1.97 inch) within a 24hrs period.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Linden woman killed by abusive husband

…suspect shot, arrested in jungle

By Joe Chapman

A MARRIAGE of just about four years ended tragically on Friday when a 38-year-old Linden woman, Shaneka Elliot, was stabbed to death after threatening to end the relationship which relatives said was rocked by abuse.

The suspect, Michael London, was arrested by ranks of the Guyana Police Force later in the afternoon in the jungle of Moblissa, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

During the ensuing process of effecting the arrest, the man reportedly violently attacked the lawmen and was shot once to his left leg. He is being treated.

Around 10:00hrs, Shaneka Elliott London of 1206 Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden, was stabbed about 15 times by her husband Michael London, who is the father of her youngest child Makayla. The woman had had enough of his abuse and indicated to him that she was ending the marriage. But be-

fore she did, London inflicted the wounds about her body .

The man, a former soldier who hails from the East Coast of Demerara and had visited his wife for Mother’s Day, but remained until the fatal incident. Before the start of this year, the woman and her husband were living on the East Coast, but after her husband’s mother died, she returned to live in Linden.

Father of the woman, Brian Elliott (Snr.) was not in a position to comment on his daughter’s death while her mother June Elliott was not in Linden. Her sister Tomica said that Shaneka was encountering abuse in her relationship with her husband.

According to her, Shaneka ‘tell him she didn’t want him’ and figured that after this was told to him he became upset.

The woman was stabbed about the body and neck while shielding her daughter from the raging husband, but strangely, no one in the neighbourhood was alerted to the fracas in their home.

Eventually Shaneka escaped

her attacker even as she barred the intense attack and shielded her two-year-old daughter Makayla from her father’s rage.

Luckily, the wounded woman eventually ran outside with the child and dragged for some 100 metres to call out a neighbour. There the woman who was bleeding profusely from the multiple wounds before collapsing at the metal gate after rapping to seek attention. The neighbour who was having his breakfast soon came out but could not readily realise who it was as the injured woman was about to collapse on the iron fence. He then rushed outside and quickly called out for help and soon after the bleeding woman was whisked away to the Mackenzie Hospital. On reaching the hospital, the medical personnel took over but soon after the woman passed away.

This is the second tragedy for Brian Elliott (Snr.), who lost his 16-year-old son Mobutu in 1996 after he was electrocuted on

The body of the woman being escorted to the Wismar Hospital Mortuary

the dyke in another mishap. Her siblings who are mourning are Mark, Tomiica, Brian (Jr.), Latoya, Akelo, Tammy, Akemo, Aneka and Mafieah. The woman leaves to mourn her children: Dimetri, Danica, Jevon, Gelika and Makayla.

Saturday, May 20, 2017 Sunday, May 21, 2017 Monday, May 22, 2017 02:00 hrs Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 02:30 hrs Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 03:30 hrs

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Suspect: Michael London

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Cultural icon Carmen Jarvis laid to rest THE mortal remains of Ms Carmen Jarvis, AA, CCH, and Guyana’s former representative to the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), was yesterday interred at Le Repentir Cemetery, Georgetown.

This followed a memorial service in celebration of her life, at the Smith Congregational Church, Brickdam.

Widely described as a ‘phenomenal woman,’ Ms Jarvis died on March 29, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, at age 91.

An initial Thanksgiving Service for her life was conducted at the First Congregational Church, 105 Courtland, Northeast, on April 9.

At that ceremony, her remains were cremated and subsequently brought home to Guyana for interment.

Celebrant was Pastor Oslen Small and Organist, Ms. Lynette Cunha.

In a moving show of grief and appreciation, a large gathering whose lives

President David Granger sits alongside Jennifer King, daughter of the late Carmen Jarvis, former Mayor Hamilton Green and other mourners on Friday at the Smith Memorial Congregational Church on Brickdam during a memorial service

the cultural and education icon had touched in diverse ways, turned out to join the bereaved family members in paying their last respects to a phenomenal woman.

Among the distinguished mourners and sympathisers were President David Granger, former Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green and other distinguished personalities.

There was also an im-

pressive representation from Queen’s College and Bishops’ High School. In her early years of teaching, Ms Jarvis served on the staff of Queen’s College before being appointed head of Bishops,’ where she served for 26 years.

A love of a lady, there were many glowing tributes by persons who attested to her grace and charm and the contribution she had made to

Members of the Guyana Girl Guides Association formed an honour guard as relatives of the late Carmen Jarvis take her urn out of the Smith Memorial Congregational Church on Brickdam, Friday

Family and friends of the late Carmen Jarvis gathered at the Smith Memorial Congregational Church on Brickdam on Friday for a memorial service

education in Guyana.

Ms Jarvis was a stickler for discipline and demanded no less from those with whom she interacted.

She was earlier described

by President David Granger as a stalwart and iconic Guyanese, who made outstanding contributions to Guyana’s education system, even before Independence, adding that she will be surely missed.

“She was our country’s representative to UNESCO and in this regard, she was able to give Guyana great prominence in the world, particularly for heritage sites,” President Granger told reporters at a press con-

ference at State House In 1979, Ms Jarvis was offered and accepted the post of Secretary-General of the Guyana National Commission of UNESCO. During her tenure there, she attended and participated in every General Conference between 1980 and 2003 and had made meaningful interventions in every commission, even in cases where she was the sole delegate from Guyana.

“She was one of the longest-serving and also one of the most respected individuals to hold the post of secretary-general and was awarded the Aristotle Medal

by UNESCO,” the congre-

gation heard.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said Ms Jarvis has left a matchless legacy as a cultural ambassador, an educator and female exemplar.

“I feel honoured to have known her and worked with her whilst she served as Guyana’s secretary- general to UNESCO,” the prime minister said.

Ms Jarvis also had to her credit, the fact that Guyana was twice elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO: From 1983 to 1987 and from 1993 to 1997.

She played an integral role in Guyana once being elected to the Man and the Biosphere International Council and several times to the Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).

She has authored two books, the second of which was her Autobiography launched last October and titled: “From Seedtime to Harvest.”

President Granger expressed profound condolences to Ms Jarvis’s two daughters, Jennifer King and Alison Knight, grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

Editorial

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Our First Teachers “FAMILIES, Education and Well-Being” was the theme of this year’s observance of International Day of Families on Monday.

The Ministry of Social Protection, in a full-page statement, observed that this year’s observance “is to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and life-long learning opportunities for children and youth.”

Society is composed of families and is what the heads of families make it.

Out of the heart are “the issues of life”; and the heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation is the household. The well-being of society, the success of the church, the prosperity of the nation, depend upon the family influences.

The elevation or deterioration of the future of society

will be determined by the manners and morals of the youth growing up around us.

As the youth are educated, and as their characters are molded in their childhood to virtuous habits, self-control, and temperance, so will their influence be upon society. If they are left unenlightened and uncontrolled, and as the result become self-willed, intemperate in appetite and passion, so will be their future influence in molding society. The company which the young now keep, the habits they now form, and the principles they now adopt are the indexes to the state of society for years to come.

It is said that the family in which the members are polite and courteous exerts a far-reaching influence for good. Other families will mark the results attained by

such a home, and will follow the example set. Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, in the full-page advertisement noted that the observance “highlights the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and focuses on the role of families and family-oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members.”

Meanwhile, the ministry has reaffirmed also its commitment towards providing service-oriented systems to “… support families in parenting and in imparting core values…” Acknowledging that a child first learns about right and wrong in the family, modern parents face many challenges in teaching values, according to clinical psychologist in Warren, New Jersey, Dr Michael M Osit,

author of “Generation Text: Raising Well-Adjusted Kids in an Age of Instant Everything.”

New York psychotherapist and parenting coach, Tamara Gold, observes that the family is “profoundly important to the developmental, emotional and cognitive growth of a child,” and pointing to “our first teachers,” she says that “a child will learn about relationships, manners, self-esteem, worth and loyalty, all by watching and participating in family.”

Parents teach a range of values to their children, often indirectly, by first living those values as children learn much more from what you do than what you say. Parents also teach values by how they handle disagreements and conflicts, what bound-

aries they set, and being respectful and helpful to others. In addition to being your child’s first teacher, a parent is also his personal coping skills consultant. In nurturing family relationships, you help to lay the foundation for all other relationships. Children learn to trust others and cultivate friendships that set the scene for satisfying personal relationships later on in life. The role which a family must play in a child’s development, puts enormous pressure on

families to ‘get it right’ and this may be more challenging in the Guyana context with a growing number of single parents, particularly among our womenfolk. In this light, it is relevant for the administration to consider and develop a major public policy initiative that will promote family life education in a systematic, multi-media programme for young adults countrywide, as well as make adequate provision to formalise lifeskills education in the school system.

Democracy will live, dictatorship will die Dear Editor: I AM a resident of Zeelugt, EBE and wish to register this missive publicly in your daily newspaper.

The coalition government had an outreach at Zeelugt scheme in Region Three roughly three weeks back where Minister Amna Ally M.P., addressed over 100 residents. As outlined at the start of the meeting, the intention of the outreach was to communicate with residents to understand the current issues facing residents and to address the said issues. After Minister Ally’s address to the residents, which was a totally non-political address, the residents were afforded the opportunity to speak directly to the minister. It is fitting to mention at this point that one resident claimed that

since the establishment of the Zeelugt scheme, no senior member of the former government had ever visited them and considering that, the minister’s visit was a welcome one. Several other residents expressed heartfelt gratitude to the current government for the provision of electricity and water -- two basic needs -- to their community (Zeelugt Sugar Welfare Scheme) and lamented in details the hassle and harassment they received from the former administration for those very basic needs.

They even claimed that they had to stand for hours in the hot sun and didn’t get the opportunity to even speak to the then first lady. Other residents spoke about the need for proper drainage in the area and the grading of their roads.

Additionally, residents

of Phase Three Zeelugt requested electricity and proper water services. The entire group clapped loudly when a resident suggested that persons who were given houselots in the area and failed to occupy said lands should be taken away and be given to people who are ready to occupy and build.

There was also the call for a police outpost in the area and the development of a recreational facility, so that young people can divert their energies to more meaningful activities. All the concerns raised were addressed to the satisfaction of the residents. Given the limited budget our country operates on, it was clearly understood by all that the demands cannot be met immediately, but the drains are currently being dug and cleared of overgrown veg-

etation. We were further informed that the grader is scheduled to grade the roads within the next two weeks.

We were told that slowly and surely our demands will be met.

Editor, I say all the above primarily to compare the government’s meeting with the opposition’s meeting that was held a few days ago in the said area.

First, several attendees at the opposition’s meeting were not from Zeelugt and it was smaller than the one held by government.

The speakers of the opposition spoke about their return to power in 2020 and even threatened to dismiss from their jobs, the persons who assisted in organising the government’s meeting.

A major concern that was raised is the current ongoing battle as to the own-

ership of the playground located on the northern side of the village. The PPP is so accustomed to unlawful behaviour that one of the speakers instructed the chairperson of the NDC to appoint a management committee. At this point I must mention, it is my opinion that the ground belongs to the school and not the sports club. Further, the NDC has a responsibility to ensure that the ground is properly kept for the benefit of first the school and secondly the community. Any management committee must be an elected body from the community. That is democracy. This issue was raised by concerned residents to the REO of Region Three and they were given the assurance of democracy over dictatorship. Democracy will live on and dictatorship

will die out.

Editor, even though I was cursed at by some of the attendees of the PPP meeting I shall not be moved. I will continue to attend all public meetings for the word public alone speaks for itself. It is my firm conclusion that the PPP came to our community only because Minister Amna Ally came a few weeks back, so permit me the opportunity to publicly tell the PPP, “this time nah long time.” It is a fallacy to believe that citizens like me will ever vote again for the PPP and further rest assured that Guyanese are now educating themselves and therefore race politics is a thing of the past.

Regards PARBATTIE SOOKRAM – Resident of Zeelugt

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

GAWU, PPP using schoolchildren during protest Dear Editor,: IT is sad to see the lengths to which some will go for their personal political gains and power. I would like to bring to the attention of all, the recent act of child abuse, or political abuse in the form of using under-aged children in protest, to score political points by the PPP and GAWU. On Wednesday 16th May 2017, I was looking at a video on GAWU’s FB page. It was showing the protest that was held the said day by residents\ sugar workers in the Canje area, Region Six. On that video, the PPP MP in Region Six, Dr Mahadeo, had the guts during school hours to commend a young man in

school uniform for leading the protest. That was very shameful that this MP who sits in the highest law-making office could have encouraged a schoolchild to stay away from school. He also mentioned that there are other schoolchildren in the protest.

It amazes me that when the PPP was in power, the then Minister of Education introduced a ‘No Child Left Behind Policy.’ The minister and the PPP were against children absenting from school\ classes. Shame on this man that also preaches peace and religion. It seems that he too can use anybody for his personal political gains and so are the rest of the PPP. Those children know noth-

ing as to what they are protesting for. They were used by the PPP and GAWU. I am sure that this PPP MP has relatives going to school at that moment. Why he did not encourage his under-aged relatives to be part of something they knew nothing about?. He would not do that, but used other under-aged children. The PPP and GAWU should be ashamed to use those children for their gains.

All that the MP and the rest of the speakers were doing was calling government members names and putting the people against each other.

They did not tell the workers and protesters that they are the ones who ensured that sugar workers suffer. They

never told the protesters that under the PPP they had plans to close the industry but was afraid, because of their political future if that was to be done. They never told the workers that GAWU sold out their rights while the PPP was in power. They never told the workers about the estates they closed and that many had lost their jobs and livelihoods.

It is a shame to see the nasty and dirty work that the PPP and GAWU officials are doing. They are back to operation destroy Guyana if we can’t get power. All that the PPP wants is power. I will say this: as long as a country is on its way towards betterment and an opposition political party wants power, they will

organise mass protests and strikes. I can recall in May 2015 it was the then PPP CEO of GuySuCo, who had wanted to close the entire operations of GuySuCo down. Yet the workers and GAWU didn’t see it fit then to strike.

Today under this APNU+AFC Government, GuySuCo will still survive and lots of workers will still be working. The PPP needs to tell the workers the truth and let it be known. They need to stop lying and getting workers and their families to be stressed out. They need to ask GAWU to relax taking union dues for the next seven months from the workers so that the workers can enjoy that amount being paid to GAWU. It will

go to their children to spend.

If GAWU so cared for the workers, then they should relax the union dues for the rest of the year. If the PPP so cared, then take the raise that was given to MPs that you all said you will not accept and give it to the workers. PPP, if you so cared then put all of the MPs money for the rest of the year in a fund for the sugar workers children. Don’t just show the world you all care, prove it. Don’t provoke the situation for political gains and power.

Stop using the under-aged children.

Regards ABEL SEETARAM

Tribute to Tchaiko Kwayana Dear Editor:

I JOIN others in the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) to pay tribute to the late Pan-Africanist Tchaiko Kwayana. Guyanese should take a page from her book when it comes to cultural advocacy, nationalist identity, volunteerism, and championing democracy. I first met Sister Tchaiko at City College. She visited several times to give lectures, one in a class (Prof Samad Mathias) I was taking in the Black Studies Department on Caribbean politics. During her appearances at CCNY and other talks in NY, Tchaiko gave updates of the socio-politico and economic conditions in Guyana and implored others to join the struggle against the dictatorship.

Tchaiko, like her husband Eusi Kwayana, was an indefatigable campaigner for free and fair elections and promoting Africanist culture. Guyanese should express gratitude and appreciation for her work. Initially, she and Eusi supported and encouraged a nationalist agenda, including the state control of the economy and the education system. They turned against Burnham after Walter Rodney was denied a professorial job at UG. They then opposed the electoral riggings.

Tchaiko was not born Guyanese, but migrated to

Guyana in 1968, marrying Eusi Kwayana (alias Sydney King) and joined the Black nationalist and Pan-Africanist movement started

by Eusi. Like Mr King, Ann changed her (English) name to an Africanist one.

More than many others, she cared for Guyana and she showed her love for her people through her pan-Africanist teachings in various Black villages around the country. They were held in high esteem by Buxtonians and by Pan-Africanists and Black nationalists in Guyana and the USA. I learned about Sister Tchaiko (nee Ann F Cook born in Georgia) during my years as a student activist and in student governments at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Requests came in to the student governments from the Black Studies Club and the Black Studies Department (CCNY) for funding for lectures by her and other Africanists. I was an elected senator (representing the natural Sciences) and later got elected as Vice-President for Educational Affairs in Undergraduate Student Government and subsequently as councillor (representing Social Sciences) in the Graduate Student Council and after that as president of that graduate students body. Discussions often came up for these requests for funding (from the student governments) for lectures by Ms Tchaiko

and other Black nationalists hosted by the Black Studies Department. Dr Jagan and later Joey Jagan, as well as other Caribbean personalities (including Michael Manley, Maurice Bishop and Ralph Gonsalves), were also hosted there. The student governments of which I served consistently co-sponsored these lectures and/or other related activities.

I admired Sister Tchaiko for her African (Black) nationalism – the way she dressed and her passionate expressions of pride in the classroom of students of diverse nationalities about her identity and in people of Black descent and of her African roots. She was a proud Black nationalist and internationalist, her American nationality notwithstanding, and she was never ashamed of displaying or speaking about it or her roots. She encouraged students (almost all of whom were Blacks or Hispanics with me being the only Indian) to be proud of their identities and roots. There are hardly any comparisons in the Indian community in Guyana or the U.S. I should note that on the issue of Black pride and nationalism, the marriage of Tchaiko to Eusi Kwayana took place in Guyana under traditional Yoruba (African) rites and was perhaps the first such marriage on Guyanese soil in modern, post-independence Guyana. The couple was/is very proud of their ‘Africaness’

and exemplified it in their marriage, their lifestyle, and in their everyday garb and advocacy (ethno nationalism). Her funeral was under Yoruba rites in Georgia.

Sister Tchaiko was a role model for cultural and ethnic nationalism, and

one cannot help but admire her and her husband Eusi. Also, her activism, advocacy and humanitarian activities should be emulated. May God grant her soul eternal rest and may her husband and other family members be

comforted by the fact that she lived a productive life, making enormous contributions during the struggle for a democratic and better Guyana.

Regards DR VISHNU BISRAM

8

No place for partisan ...

From page 2

Ramjattan performing duties as President … Allicock as PM

but it is about proper disposal of solid waste, pointing to the fact that improper waste disposal leads to the emergence of diseases. “When we speak of the ‘green’ state, we speak about healthy communities.

When we speak of a ‘green’ state, we speak about the sustainable generation of energy, so that schools, hospitals, police stations, clinics could all be powered by renewable energy sources. Every region has abundant sunshine, abundant wind; some regions have biomass possibilities, because of the sugar industry or rice industry. Some regions have hydro-power potential,” the President pointed out.

However, for the vision of national development to be realised, the Head of State said that it is imperative that every citizen work together.

KEY CHANGES EFFECTED Minister Bulkan also recalled how for many decades, local government was considered to have little or no relevance and was so treated by the central Government.

In fact, he said a centralised approach to governance was the order of the day for decades and that few will forget the period of micromanagement that was a feature of the first 15 years of this century.

“Communities and people were victims of this approach and practice. Change, however, started to come following the general and regional elections of November 2011 and the advent of President David Granger as Leader of the Opposition in an opposition-majority Parliament. The records will show that under his leadership, local government was placed on the front burner.

It was the combined APNU+AFC that effected key changes in local government bills brought before the 10th Parliament that would return authority to our local democratic organs.”

Bulkan said the previous administration did not want such organs to have independence as was proven by the fact that former president Donald Ramotar refused to sign the local government bill. “So, local government reform had to await the arrival of a new President.”

The minister charged that neglect of the local government system was so severe,and that the capacity of councils were so damaged and degraded that they had become largely dysfunctional.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock

VICE-PRESIDENT and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, was on Friday sworn in to perform duties as President, following President David Granger departure for an intentional summit in Saudi Arabia.

Simultaneously Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is attending a

conference in Guadeloupe. Second-Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge is part of President Granger’s delegation. As such Fourth-Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, was sworn in to perform duties as Prime Minister.

Allicock was sworn in by President Grang-

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan er. Nagamootoo departed for Guadeloupe to attend PIO Fest, an international festival to mark the 100th year since the abolition of Indian indentureship.

Cop dies one day after colliding with psychiatric patient A 23-YEAR-OLD Police Constable died early Friday morning, hours after he crashed his motorcycle into a female patient of the Fort Canje Psychiatric Hospital.

Dead is Police Constable 22155 Khrystama Yasin, of lot 34 Vryheid, West Canje Berbice. According to a police report,

the cop was proceeding west along the southern carriageway of the Borlam Public Road with his motorcycle – CG 7801 – when he collided with 27-yearold Youlander Collins of Dazelle Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara at approximately 23:30hrs on Thursday.

Police said that the woman was pushing a bicycle she allegedly stole from the Fort Canje Psychiatric Hospital, at

the time of the accident.

Both Yasin and Collins were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where Yasin died about 05:30hrs this morning, whilst being prepared to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Collins was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and admitted in a stable condition.

Police Constable, Khrystama-Yasin

Diamond bond accused take slippery route

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

9

… slowly walking away from drugs bond

UNDER a cloud of pilfering medical supplies staff of the Materials Management Unit (MMU) Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) Bond are slowly resigning, with two more employees attached to the bond verbally indicating to officials their intention to quit.

The unit has been plagued for years with issues of discrepancies and government has been taking a robust approach to rooting out corruption there. On Wednesday, the Police intercepted a ‘pharma-theft’ ring at the Diamond facility, which resulted in a staff confessing and being held for questioning, while another resigned with immediate effect after being questioned by the Police about stolen pharmaceuticals.

In a statement to the media on Friday, the Ministry of Public Health said “Just a handful turned up to work on Friday,” but noted that the unexpected resignation of the staff “will not hurt operations at the facility. “Immediately, we are redirecting some manpower from other health

facilities within Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) to cushion the loss of those employees,” said a source quoted by the Ministry.

On Wednesday, 15 employees from the MMU Bond were arrested following the discovery of medical supplies that were allegedly stolen. Officials had suspected that drugs were being stolen from the unit but did not have evidence.

However, on Wednesday evening, an MMU officer observed drugs stashed inside the toilet of the MMU bond and informed a trusted colleague and set up a sting operation.

The MMU officials left the bond but returned later when other MMU employees were about to leave in a bus, then ordered them out and conducted a search, during which the stolen drugs were discovered. Items stashed included Clozole (an anti-fungal cream used for yeast infection); On Call Plus (used mainly by diabetics to test the blood sugar); Chlorophane (a cough medicine) and Ferro-

vite (a multivitamin product used to treat or prevent low blood levels of iron and vitamin B12). The stolen items have been conservatively valued at US$500 (G$100,000).

Earlier this year, the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the unauthorised disclosure of information on the procurement of pharmaceuticals at the Ministry of Public Health had recommended that there be a major shake-up of the Materials and Management Unit (MMU), including the dismissal of an office assistant.

The inquiry also recommended that Western Scientific Company Limited be debarred from tendering for contracts, while accusing a top official of the company of conspiring with staff of the MMU to gain a competitive advantage over other suppliers. That report was compiled

by Commissioner, Winston Cosbert, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ret’d).

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Ministry of Public Health offered that “the bond was systematically raided”

Two years jail for son, mom bailed on illegal gun, ammo charges A NORTON Street, Werken-Rust, Georgetown welder and his mother appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates Court, charged with the unlawful possession of ammunition and narcotics.

Kevin Amos, 21 and his 50-year-old mother Gail Joe, were jointly charged and it is alleged that on May 16, 2017 at Lot 43 Norton Street, they had one .38 round of ammunition in their possession without being the holders of a firearm licence.

It is further alleged that the mother and son on the same day and location had three and a half grams of cannabis in their possession.

Amos pleaded guilty to both of the charges, confessing to the court that the items belong to him, while his mother pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate released the woman on $100,000 bail on the ammunition charge and on $40,000 bail on the

drug-possession charge. Joe was ordered to return to court on June 2. Meanwhile, Amos had two other firearm-related charges read to him by Magistrate Daly.

Amos confessed that on May 16, 2017, at Hardina Street, Werk-en-Rust, he had

Kevin Amos a .32 Taurus pistol in his possession along with four matching rounds of ammunition when he was not a licensed firearm holder.

Magistrate Daly, after

considering his early guilty plea, imposed the minimum two years sentence on each of the two ammunition charges, along with another two years for the gun-possession charge, which will all run concurrently. Additionally, he was fined $3,000 for the narcotic charge.

According to Police Prosecutor, Sanj Singh, on the day in question at about 18:00hrs, police on patrol in the Hardina Street, Werk-en-Rust area saw the accused along with a group of men acting in a suspicious manner. The police then conducted a search and found an unlicensed .32 Taurus pistol with four live rounds of matching ammunition on Amos.

The suspect was escorted to his home, where in the presence of his 50-yearold mother, a search was carried out and a live .38 round of ammunition and three and a half grams of cannabis were found in his bedroom.

by dishonest employees.

Moreover, the official said when subject Minister Volda Lawrence assumed office, and systematic changes were made, those involved in pilfering felt pressured.

Since taking office there have been many claims of shortage of drugs across the country and according to the Ministry, the MMU records of distribution show that in many cases “the shortages were artificially created,

Make-up artist charged with provocation POPULAR make-up artist Vincent Shelto was on Friday charged with provocation and released on $20,000 bail by city Magistrate Leron Daly.

During his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates Court, Shelto denied that on May 3, 2017 at Bent Street, Werk-en-Rust, he behaved in a manner intended to provoke Maline Bishun.

Vincent Shelto Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh did not reveal the allegations in court nor did he object to Shelto being released on bail. Magistrate Daly therefore granted Shelto on $20,000 bail and adjourned the matter until May 29, 2017.

and like the Diamond find, a result of theft by MOPH employees.”

“Some of those involved in the ring of venal employees have markets in the private pharmaceutical sector, where the stolen items are allegedly sold,” the Ministry said in its statement.

Additionally, the senior official described the confession and arrest of staff as a good thing for the Ministry.

“Anything that intercept

corrupt practices and allow smooth transaction of business at the country’s largest holding facility will allow for more and continuous presence of medicines and medical supplies in the various regions and various health facilities would be a gain for the health system and the country at large,” the official said.

Minister Volda Lawrence, who is currently overseas, has been informed of the developments

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 20, 2017

Yarde to push for resumption of wage talks

RE-ELECTED President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde has indicated his determination to have talks resume earliest to address the matter of public workers’ wages.

The long-standing GPSU head told reporters Thursday that talks with the government over workers’ increases should have resumed since last year, and he has since written to the relevant authorities to that effect.

Yarde was at the time speaking on the sidelines of

the swearing-in of the Public Service Appellate Tribunal members at State House, when he told reporters that the union continues to make requests for meeting on the workers’ matter to be convened, but these are yet to materialise.

“Talks should have resumed since last year and I have written to that effect and I hope there will be no further delay in having that matter addressed,” Yarde stated.

In providing an update on the current situation, Yarde said a major aspect was that

last year, he had received a letter from the Finance Minister which stated that he had been mandated by the President to deal with the State workers’ matter.

Yarde said he in turn responded to the minister, indicating the union’s willingness to meet.

The GPSU head said he even met with a team of representatives and it was agreed that the matters would be addressed, “expeditiously”.

He expressed disappointment at what he claimed is the procrastination that has

been taking place on the part of government.

“There is an economic crisis out there, people need economic relief and the way for that to be pursued is by addressing formally, a living wage and consequential increases for all public servants,” he insisted.

Yarde reiterated that the workers’ representatives are ready to resume talks, and this will be addressed through more correspondence to the relevant authorities.

Last year, the GPSU in a letter to the labour arm of the

Social Protection Ministry, asked that the agency facilitate conciliation talks with the government, since discussions had reached a deadlock.

The union had rejected government’s differentiated offer of 10 per cent to one per cent; from the lowest, to higher wage earners. While the government had stated that it was offering workers what it could have afforded at the time, the GPSU has maintained that the excuses offered are not good enough.

In a public missive earlier this month, the Guyana Trades Union Congress General-Secretary Lincoln Lewis claimed that, “In the case of collective bargaining between the State agencies and trade unions, particularly as it involves wages/salaries and working conditions, the imposition of these continue under the APNU+AFC government.”

Trade union heads have vowed to stick together in their request for workers’ increases. They have asked for as much as a 40 per cent increase for their members. The unions are however determined to have their demands met by the new government, since they are unwilling to

GPSU President Patrick Yarde endure any more impositions following more than a decade of arbitrary wage impositions of usually five per cent by the former People’s Progressive Party government.

“Significant” workers’ increases was one of the government’s campaign promises to be acted on within the first 100 days of being in office. The government has noted however, that after getting into government and assessing the true nature of things, it can only provide for the nation based on what is available.

2014 killing of businessman …

Mc Dougall guilty of lesser count of manslaughter AFTER hours of deliberation, a 12-member jury on Friday found Travis Mc Dougall guilty for the lesser count of manslaughter for the August 18, 2014 killing of Pike Street

Travis Mc Dougall businessman Ashokkoemar Ragghu.

The matter was heard before Justice Navindra Singh in the Georgetown High Court where during the verdict, the foreman declared that they unanimously found Mc Dougall not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter in the proportion of 10 to two.

In the absence of defence counsel Nigel Hughes, another attorney Jed Vasconcellos appeared on Mc Dougall’s behalf.

Justice Singh however, adjourned Mc Dougall’s sentencing to June 12, 2017, when defence

counsel Nigel Hughes will be present to make a plea of mitigation for his client following the presentation of a probation report.

At this point, Mc Dougall was escorted out of the courtroom and led away to jail.

Ragghu was killed during a robbery on August 18, 2014 at 13:30hrs at the junction of Regent Street and Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

Ragghu and his wife Shyrazadi Ragghu were in their motorcar, PGG 8291, when they stopped at the traffic light to obey the traffic signals.

Two men rode up on a CG motorcycle at the driver’s side. It had been further alleged that one of the men grabbed a haversack containing $4M, but Shyrazadi held on to the haversack and was shot in the thigh but survived the incident.

Ragghu was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPHC. In July 2015, Travis Mc Dougall was committed to stand trial for murder along with pork-knocker Jermaine Otto, who was one of the prisoners that perished in the deadly Camp Street prison fire, following riots in March 2016.

Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, testified that he had performed the post- mortem on the body of Ashokkoemar Ragghu at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). He gave the cause of death as perforation of the lung due to a gunshot .

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 20, 2017

Fraud accused Rasul still a licensed firearm holder – police DESPITE being charged for a series of fraud-related offences, the Guyana Police Force said gold dealer Saddiqi Rasul is still “fully and properly licensed” to carry firearms.

The Kaieteur News had reported that the embattled gold dealer was arrested for the possession of a rifle and a handgun, but was ordered to be released on the instructions of acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine.

However, the police force in a statement on Friday clarified that two firearms, which were found in the possession of Rasul and his security, are licensed and in fact Mr Rasul is still in possession of several firearms which he is fully and properly licensed to carry, despite the recent revocation of several licences.

“It would have been a grave injustice to allow colleague members of the force to take a course Saddiqi Rasul of action on the night in question which may have resulted in Mr Rasul and his security being kept in custody when in fact it was not necessary and would have thrown the Guyana Police Force into disrepute for highly unprofessional action,” the police statement noted.

“There are persons who unfortunately are erroneously informed and mistakenly believe that all the licences were revoked,” the statement concluded.

Rasul, the owner of SSS Minerals Trading Enterprise, was charged in April with six counts of obtaining money by false pretence and was released on $3M bail. It is alleged that the gold dealer was involved in a $956M fraud at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).

The charges alleged that between March 21 and 22, 2017, at Bartica, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $290M, $298M, $138M, $45M, $89M and $96M from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) by falsely pretending he had cash in his account at Citizens Bank to honour the cheques he had en-cashed.

11

GRDB ‘big six’ charged

… on $500,000 bail each on fraud-related charges SIX former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) members were placed on $500,000 bail each and asked to lodge their passports after they appeared in court Friday morning jointly charged by the Special Organised Unit (SOCU) for failing to make a proper entry into a register of a company.

They appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and were not required to plead to the indictable offence. They were slapped with five separate charges totalling over $400M. The charges stemmed from the findings of an audit into the finances of the GRDB. The charges read that the six

accused between 2011 to 2015 at Lot 166-177 Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, while members of the GRDB board with intent to defraud, omitted and concurred, entries into a Republic Bank Agriculture Sector Development Unit lifeskill account on the general ledger of the corporation.

Those charged are former GRDB head Madulall Ricky Ramraj; former General Manager Jagnarine Singh; former GRDB board members Dharamkumar Seeraj, Badrie Persaud, PPP Parliamentarian Nigel Dharamlall and former Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Prema Roopnarine.

The case is being prosecuted by Michael Somersall. He requested that the magistrate institute substantial bail and for the accused to lodge their passports as part of the bail agreement.

Attorneys representing the persons charged include Anil Nandlall, Priya Manickchand, Sase Gunraj and Glen Hanoman.

The case was adjourned to June 22, 2017 for commencement of trial. The attorneys collectively noted that the accused were very cooperative with SOCU on each occasion they were summoned and although the prosecution could not commence their case, it is unreasonable for the court to grant such harsh bail requirements, since they had initially

asked for their respective clients to be released on their own recognizance.

In his application, Nandlall said the six persons charged are from a board of 15 former GRDB directors and the question must be asked why only six directors were charged. He said the charges were selective and vindictive. The former attorney general said that the accused were not charged with stealing a single cent.

“There is no evidence that these people will be a flight risk,” he said, while noting that the prosecution’s application for substantial bail and lodging of passports was not a needed step to be taken by the court.

Teacher died from compression to neck

–– autopsy

A POST-MORTEM revealed Friday that Tishauna Bess, 26, of Dairy, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), died of asphyxia caused by compression to the neck, Commander of ‘D’ Division Leslie James has confirmed.

Her boyfriend, a mason, was taken into police custody on Wednesday, a day after her body was found hanging

in her home.

Reports indicate that after Bess’s relatives could not reach her on her cellular phone since Monday, they decided to visit her home to check on her, but the house was locked.

The police were then summoned and with the permission of the family, the door was forced open and the gruesome discovery was made.

Bess was found hanging and her body appeared bloated, suggesting that she had died

days ago.

Relatives in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle noted that Bess and her boyfriend Elston Sertima were in an abusive relationship.

This resulted in her leaving him and renting a house recently in Dairy, La Parfaite Harmonie,WBD. The dead woman’s father, Kenneth Bess, told the Guyana Chronicle that he learnt of his daughter’s death after her mother visited her home and made the

Dead: Tishauna Bess discovery. Expressing grave shock, the father of four, who is a contractor, said his daughter’s boyfriend worked with him on a project as recent as Tuesday last.

12

Caricom green-lights single ICT space work plan

MINISTERS with responsibility for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Friday approved the Integrated Work Plan for the Community’s Single ICT Space.

The approval came during discussions at the Sixty-Eighth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on ICT. The Virtual Meeting was anchored at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana.

The Single ICT Space is conceptualised as the digital layer of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the Region’s flagship programme. It encompasses the management of Regional information, human resources, legislation and infrastructure in the sector to elicit maximum benefit for the Region’s populace.

In a statement CARICOM Secretariat said the Single ICT space and the Region’s Digital Agenda 2025 are premised on the Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS) which was approved in 2013, and will also have inputs from key regional Commissions and the Post-2015 Agenda.

CARICOM Heads of Government had approved the Road map for the Single ICT Space in February 2017, and the Integrated Work Plan was developed and fine-tuned following several meetings of senior officials of ICT in the Region. The integrated approach allows for the co-

ordination of activities which are geared towards the best solutions to meet the needs of the people, and to achieve economies of scale across the Region.

CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, Mr. Joseph Cox said that in the course of developing the workplan, several matters were brought to light, including the fact of the different stages of ICT development across CARICOM Member States.

“The Single ICT space workplan provides a guide for issues that the region can work on together- with those that have done some things before helping the ones now embarking on those projects”, he said.

Mr. Cox also reminded the Meeting that this week the world observed World Telecommunication and Information Society Day with the theme of ‘Big data for big impact’.

“Big data is just one of the issues on the front burner of the digital sector. Are we dealing with the issues of standards, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence at the national and regional levels?

He cautioned that “our citizens are very aware of what is happening around them and the possible resulted impact. We as servants of the citizens of this Region and the practitioners and decision-makers in the sector have to give them the assurance that we are aware too and are earnestly working to

ensure that we do not retard their progress as digital citizens.”

Cohesiveness in national and regional ICT endeavours, and the indicative budget for the Single ICT Space elicited robust discussion at the Meeting on Friday. Ministers commended and gave their imprimatur to the Work Plan, which will now be placed before the CARICOM Heads of Government in July in St. George’s, Grenada.

Before the Ministers got down to business Friday morning, Chairman, Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, the Hon. Ferdinand Welzijn, thanked the senior officials from CARICOM Member States and regional organisations who worked on the draft Integrated Work Plan.

“I want to thank them for their dedicated efforts on this important regional initiative”, he said.

The minister added, that given the importance of the Single ICT space to both national and regional development, “Heads of Government expect ICT Ministers to play a pivotal role in the guidance and development of key regional documents and processes. It therefore means that you have to endeavour to prioritise areas which are not only on the national agenda, but are regional as well. Ultimately, one affects the other, especially since we are working towards a harmonised ICT Space.”

While he pointed to challenges which the Community

may encounter, he issued a reminder that when used strategically, ICT was a solution provider. He said that ICT was becoming a main pivot in the four pillars of the Community – trade and economic development, human and social development, foreign policy coordination and security.

“Let us therefore focus on doing our part so that the big picture can be understood and appreciated by the citizens of the Region whom we serve. The work on the Single ICT space forces us to collaborate like never before as Ministers, policy-makers, officials and civil society, if we are going to succeed and advance as a Region”, he told his fellow Ministers.

The half-day Meeting also paid attention to the Community’s Digital Agenda, which encompasses the role ICT plays in the development of society such as in relation to the elderly, disabled and marginalised; in transportation, agriculture and energy; and in the green economy approach now being undertaken by Member States.

The Ministers also acknowledged the cyber security action plan which was recently approved by the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) and agreed to forge ahead with a coordinated approach of keeping national assets secured.

They agreed to meet before July to discuss digital broadcasting and switchover issues.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 20, 2017

Murder accused granted bail AFTER almost four months on remand, 27-yearold Leon Duncan called “Whistle”, who is accused of attempted murder, was released on $800,000 bail

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Friday.

Duncan, of Festival City, Georgetown, made his first appearance in court in February, 2017 and was remanded after the allegation was read to him. It is alleged that on September 26, 2016, at Oronoque and Forshaw Streets, he attempted to murder Jeffrey Farrell.

When the matter was called on Friday, Duncan was released on bail following an application by his attorney, Mark Waldron, on the ground that Police Prosecutor, Arvin Moore was not in possession of the file.

Leon Duncan The matter is adjourned called ‘Whistle’ until June 5, 2017.

On September 26, 2016, at Oronoque and Forshaw Streets, Farrell was injured during a shooting outside the Rio Night Club, which also left 19-year-old Ryan Sergeant dead.

Ferrell, 35, was shot to the neck. It was reported that there was a brawl at the night club, during which a heated argument ensued between a group of young men.

Based on reports, the brawl was taken outside after security officials of the night club asked the men to leave. While outside, an individual whipped out a gun and shot at Sergeant and his friends.

Duncan is also charged for discharging a loaded firearm at Seon Nedd, with intent to maim, disable, disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm at Club Privilege, Main Street, Georgetown on January 8, 2017. This matter is currently before City Magistrate Judy Latchman.

In 2016, Duncan was acquitted in the High Court for the murder of businessman Intaz Roopnarine, after a 12 member mixed jury returned with a not guilty verdict.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 20, 2017

AGs urged to pay attention to crime and security CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque has called on the Legal Affairs Committee (LAC) to pay close attention to matters impacting crime and security in the Region.

Ambassador LaRocque issued the call during the opening ceremony of the 22nd Meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana.

Additionally, he underscored the importance of attending to the issues related to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Ambassador LaRocque said due to the fact that LAC drives the legislative agenda of CARICOM, it is necessary for it to meet more regularly.

The 22nd LAC meeting was scheduled to be held from May 17-18, but the committee completed its work in one day under the chairmanship of Guyana’s Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams.

Attorneys General from CARICOM member states Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago were a part of the meeting, some joining via video conference.

Belize and Suriname were also represented by senior officials. Also present were representatives from the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety (CAHFSA), the Caribbean Law Institute Centre (CLIC), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and the CARICOM

Secretariat.

High on the agenda were several Community instruments for review, including the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), the Agreement on the Return and Sharing of Recovered Assets and the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Treaty (CAWT).

These and other instruments were approved by the attorneys general for submission to the 38th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government slated for the 4-6th July, 2017 (the conference) for adoption and signature.

Model legislation was also considered, in particular the Anti-Terrorism Bill, which is aimed at addressing terrorism and terrorist activities which is an emerging threat to the Region’s security. The Bill speaks to, among other things, foreign terrorist fighters and designating geographical areas. The Anti-Terrorism Bill along with the Public Procurement Bill, Food Safety Bill and Mediation Bill were approved by the 22nd LAC as the CARICOM Models for implementation by member states.

Matters touching and concerning the CSME, specifically those related to the free movement of CARICOM nationals, were discussed at length and certain recommendations were made by the 22nd LAC to the conference and other organs of CARICOM. There was also a fruitful and meaningful discourse on the state of Legal Education in member states following a report on a survey undertaken by the Council of

The 22nd meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee in progress on Wednesday Legal Education (CLE). Issues such as access to law schools and the role and function of the CLE formed part of the discussion.

Adriel Brathwaite, Attorney General of Barbados, commended Minister Basil Williams for his work as Chairman of the LAC, under whose leadership several matters that have long been engaging the attention of this body were finally brought to completion. These sentiments were echoed by Cajeton Hood, Attorney General of Grenada.

The meeting ended on a positive note, with renewed commitment from the attorneys general to work assiduously to discharge the mandate given to the LAC. This would be the second meeting of the LAC held within the last eight months, the last LAC meeting having been held in September, 2016 also under the chairmanship of Williams.

The 23rd LAC meeting is expected to be held in September, 2017.

MMU employee charged with stealing drugs A MINISTRY of Health employee was on Friday charged with stealing drugs from the Materials Management Unit (MMU) Bond at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Daquan Griffith, 19, of Castello Housing Scheme, Georgetown appeared before City Magistrate, Leron Daly and pleaded not guilty to the offence of simple larceny.

It is alleged that on May 17, 2017 at the MMU bond, Griffith stole four boxes of On Call Plus Blood Glucose test strips, valued $20,000, property of the Ministry of Health.

Defence lawyer, Leslie Benjamin in an application for bail, told the court that Griffith has been employed by the Ministry of Health for the past two years. Police Prosecutor, Sanj Singh did not object to the accused being released on bail.

Bail was granted in the sum of $50,000 bail and the

matter was adjourned to June 2, 2017. On the day in question,15 employees from the MMU Bond were arrested following the discovery of medical supplies that were allegedly stolen.

Officials had suspected that drugs were being stolen from the unit but did not have evidence. However, on Wednesday evening, an MMU officer observed drugs stashed inside the toilet of the MMU bond.

The officer did not raise an alarm but informed another trusted colleague and a sting operation was set up.

The MMU officials left the bond but returned later when other MMU employees were about to leave in a bus, then ordered them out and conducted a search, during which the stolen drugs were discovered.

Items stashed included Clozole (an anti-fungal cream used for yeast infec-

Daquan Griffith tion); On Call Plus (used mainly by diabetics to test the blood sugar); Chlorophane (a cough medicine) and Ferrovite (a multivitamin product used to treat or prevent low blood levels of iron and vitamin B12).

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GTT awards top-up promotion winners

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) on Thursday presented an all-inclusive trip to Jamaica and consolation prizes of two Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge smart phones to the second set of winners in GTT’s $1000 top-up promotion.

The promotion lasted for two weeks and the draw was done by random raffle.

GTT Public Relations Officer Nadia Deabreu, said the promotion was just one of many of the company over the years to honour its loyal customers.

On Thursday, the winners of the May 2-May 15 promotion in recognition of Mother’s Day, were awarded Thursday.

Fly Jamaica’s Commercial Relations Officer Patricia Lewis said Fly Jamaica was pleased to partner with GTT on the promotion, since it is always happy to give back to its customers.

GTT will continue their promotion for Father’s Day, where there would be one weekly winner of a Samsung S8. All customers need to do is keep topping up $1000 for a chance to be a part of the promotion.

Hardat Malchand and Vanita Ally were the two persons who each won a Samsung Galaxy 7 edge smart phone. Clement Sealey won the grand prize of a four-day, all-inclusive trip for two to Jamaica.

“I am very thankful to GTT,” said Sealey.

Sealey, a very satisfied landline and mobile GTT customer, said the trip will allow him to catch up with friends he has not seen in a while.

GTT Public Relations Officer Nadia Deabreu (second left), company representatives and Fly Jamaica’s Commercial Relations Officer Patricia Lewis (fifth left) with the winners Hardat Malchand, Vanita Ally and Clement Sealey and Fly Jamaica’s Commercial Manager Carl Bowen (right), with promotion winners George Mahase and his wife and consolation winner, Paul Fernandes

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Diaspora confab targets entrepreneurs

AS part of efforts to bolster engagement with the diaspora, a conference for a number of entrepreneurs from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States will be held here from Monday 22 to Thursday 25 May, during which they will explore prospects for developing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to assist in creating employment opportunities for Guyanese.

This event, called ‘Effective and Sustainable Diaspora Engagement for Development in the Caribbean (ESDEDC) “Go See Visit 2017”, is part of a regional project being collaboratively undertaken on the national front by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release.

Furthermore, this activity is related to the engagement strategy now being de-

veloped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Citizenship and the Ministry of Business and Tourism, to harness resources and facilitate the transfer of skills and knowledge, thus increasing diaspora involvement in Guyana’s development. According to the ministry, the visiting Guyanese entrepreneurs will attend workshops, interact with local stakeholders and agencies, and conduct site visits to areas relevant to their business interests, which range from software development to maternal and child health-care services.

The Diaspora Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was created by the Government of Guyana to strengthen relations with overseas-based Guyanese, while encouraging trade, investment and other contributions. The Government of Guyana and the IOM have also joined forces to establish Guyana’s Diaspora

(GUYD) Project to collect data on skills and resources to help guide a more effective engagement policy. Currently, the Guyana Diaspora Engagement Strategy and Action Plan, which will provide the Government with a more impactful mechanism, is being finalised.

The “Go See Visit” project will both expose participants to Guyana’s current business climate and create networking opportunities for future investors. The ESDEDC regional project has also been executed by the Governments of Belize, Jamaica and Suriname.

Government has increasingly been looking to the Diaspora for investment and a ministerial sub-committee has been established to develop a diaspora policy. Minister of State Joseph Harmon had told reporters earlier this year that consultations have been done with stakeholders on a Diaspora Engagement Strategy;

GRDB distances itself from ‘fake rice’ THE Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) said it has noted with great concern the presence of video recordings being circulated of plastic rice and wished to make it clear that there has been no confirmation of plastic rice in our market.

In a release, the GRDB said the home-made video recordings being posted on social media, alleging to be plastic rice is labelled as “Product of Guyana.” The most recent case involves a video recording emanating from Trinidad

& Tobago of packaged rice labelled “Product of Guyana,” Packaged for Naisa Brand Products Ltd.,Trinidad.”

The GRDB states categorically that no rice mill in Guyana produces artificial rice and expresses grave concern about such rice being labelled “Product of Guyana.”

The GRDB said it is willing to facilitate any verification of rice being produced at rice mills in Guyana and will be monitoring the situation closely. The Ministry of Agriculture informs the public

that any reports of fake rice being present on the market or emanating from Guyana are wholly false.

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder has since been in contact with the relevant authorities in Trinidad and Tobago and a further update will be provided shortly.

Owing to the importance of Guyana’s market and commitments the country presently has, the Ministry of Agriculture hopes this fake report is an isolated incident.

the stakeholders include the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The move by Cabinet to set up a ministerial sub-committee comprising the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, State, Finance, Business and Citizenship had followed concerns raised by members of the diaspora of being isolated by the administration. “The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs updated Cabinet on the formulation of a Diaspora Engagement Strategy and other works being carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on diaspora engagement. It will be recalled that this is an area which, when we came into office, the Government decided that they were going to put additional efforts into ensuring that the ease of doing business in Guyana with our Guyanese in the diaspora was made much easier,” Harmon had said.

Harmon said over the past few months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs engaged with several international agencies on studying the issue, to see how best a diaspora engagement policy could be drafted.

He said preliminary work has been completed and noted

that the ministerial sub-committee will examine the proposals and put to Cabinet its final decision on the matter.

“We believe that it is important enough to ensure that our Guyanese in the diaspora… that they have a specific point of reference on all of these issues. At present, the point of reference is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through our consulates, high commissions and embassies abroad.”

Harmon said oftentimes, Guyanese in the diaspora return here and try to get services provided them and it is the hope of his administration that the strategy will allow them to remain where they are and access the requisite information and get decisions from Government entities and agencies by just the click of a button on a computer. “That is the direction in which we are moving,” he stated.

He said Cabinet has agreed that a sub -committee comprising the ministers be appointed to examine proposals and advise on a final decision. Assurances that Government is sticking to one of its campaign promises to engage the diaspora in a structured manner has followed public concerns by

a group of pro-Government Guyanese in New York, who have claimed they are being treated as outcasts, although they had campaigned for and provided financial support to APNU+AFC. They have also flayed the Government for failing to set up a diaspora commission or selecting an overseas-based Guyanese to be a parliamentarian. Harmon said Government is determined to ensure overseas-based Guyanese enjoy the ease of doing business in their homeland.

“We believe that it is important enough to ensure that our Guyanese in the diaspora, that they have a specific point of reference on all of these issues,” he said. Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge has assured overseas-based Guyanese that they are not being ignored, but his ministry is not an employment bureau.

President David Granger has called on overseas-based Guyanese to stop writing petitions and instead come back and invest in village economies. He had said he loves the diaspora and credited them with supporting him and his coalition election campaign.

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GWI in $5.5M upgrade of Matthews Ridge water supply system

THE Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Thursday signed an agreement with the Matthews Ridge/ Arakaka and Port Kaituma Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to undertake a $5.5 Million water supply improvement programme in

remedial works to the community’s water supply reservoirs, and its distribution and transmission network. Dr Van-West Charles told the residents at the ceremony that interventions in the community are in line with the water company’s renewed commit-

He said that currently in the sub-region, GWI is working with the Matthews Bridge Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC to share the cost of addressing leaks in the area.

The result should see by the end of August, a significant increase in terms of quantity

needs to be “stakeholders’ ownership” of the interventions that GWI undertakes, if the water company is to stay on top of its mission of delivering quality water to all.

“We need you to work with us if we are going to investigate in a timely basis, leaks that are compromising the system and contaminating the water that the people are receiving,” the managing-director said.

He also called on the NDC and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to help with identifying communities that do not have access to water.

“We do not know the terrain and this is where the regional administration and the NDC can come in and help us because we take the mandate of the President serious in terms of addressing inequity where they exist with respect to

to them,” he said. Regional Chairman (RC), Brentnol Ashley recalled that a few months after assuming the office, he met with Dr. Van West-Charles and discussed the water woes, not only in Mabaruma, but those of Matakai and Matthews Ridge.

He explained that since this early conversation and several others that followed, Dr. Van West-Charles and his team worked assiduously to improve the areas of concern that the region listed to them.

As the GWI continues to address the issues in the region, Ashley gave his RDC’s commitment to continue working with them. “I know that they could continue to give that level of support and partners with the RDC to bring better quality of water to all residents,” he said. In

their political preference. “…

What I am concerned with is making communities better, helping them to develop from strength to strength and I am glad that the [Guyana] Water Incorporated would have fully come on board, in this drive,” Ashley said.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Matthews Bridge Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC, Margaret Lambert, thanked the government for the intervention that would allow for clean water supply to the homes of residents in the NDC. “We are thankful and grateful for this water upgrading in this NDC and we are pledging to working with GWI so as to bring even more water intervention to our communities,” Lambert said. As

Managing-Director of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Dr Richard Van-West Charles and Chairperson of the Matthews Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC, Margaret Lambert, signing the agreement for the $5.5Million upgrade to the Matthews Ridge water supply system Mathews Ridge.

The agreement was signed between Managing-Director of GWI Dr Richard Van-West Charles and Chairperson of the Matthews Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC, Margaret Lambert, at a simple ceremony in the community. Witnessing the signing were Region One Chairman, Brentnol Ashley and GWI representatives in the region.

The agreement covers upgrade to the community’s water system by facilitating rehabilitation of the water sources (two springs,) and the tapping into a third spring to provide for additional water supply. It also covers the

ment to ensure that villages across Guyana have access to potable water.

He explained that GWI’s urgency in this effort within the hinterland regions is particularly driven by the opportunity for the incidence of water-borne disease, and the risk of contamination to the water supply system. In addition to initiating a number of efforts to improve access and quality of water in the regions, Dr Van-West Charles explained that the water company is working with the regional and local authorities to efficiently and effectively address the issues of leaks in the communities.

of water supply in the communities, in both the morning and evenings hours, he said.

Also towards addressing quality of access, the GWI Managing-Director explained that the water company is working with the region to instal a kit at the hospital, where the water supplied by the newly rehabilitated Matthews Ridge water supply system can be monitored for microbes, and other quality characteristics on a weekly basis.

During his address, he also stressed the need for partnership to ensure the continued reliability of the water service. He noted that there

GUYANA’S Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday hosted sixthgrade students of the Brightwood Education Campus as the highlight of the Embassy’s participation in the 2017 Embassy Adoption Programme.

The progamme, which was established in 1974 as a partnership between the District of Columbia Public Schools and the Washington Performing

Arts, provides opportunities for DC students to experience an international perspective and participate in cross-cultural activities, through interaction with diplomats from across the world. This year marks 39 years since the Embassy of Guyana has participated.

The Ambassador of Guyana, Dr. Riyad Insanally, in welcoming the teachers and students from Brightwood and

representative from the Washington Performing Arts, expressed appreciation for the enthusiasm of the students in learning about Guyana’s rich history and culture and credited them with being honorary ambassadors for Guyana.

In this Ministry of Foreign Affairs photo Ambassador Dr Insanally (second from left) could be seen interacting with the students.

Managing-Director of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Dr Richard Van-West Charles addressing the simple ceremony for the $5.5Million upgrade to the Matthews Ridge water supply system water,” Dr Van-West Charles said. He explained that to facilitate engagements with the residents, GWI will be striving to establish monthly water meetings with the communities to get feedback, “so we do not want to wait if there are issues…but we will be able to put these issues on the table and find solutions

addition to Mathews Ridge, GWI’s most recent intervention in the region includes works in Hosororo, Oronoque and Yarakita.

The RC also assured the residents that his only concern is that of bettering the quality of life of all the people living in Region One, irrespective of their ethnicity and

per the agreement signed, the funds for the water intervention in Mathews Ridge would be provided to the NDC, which would then engage residents to provide the works. As per the agreement, GWI would then provide materials for the works to be undertaken. (GINA)

Learning about Guyana’s rich history

Washington embassy

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Illegal fishing costing Caribbean millions –– CRFM reviewing ways to create a sustainable fisheries industry

ILLEGAL, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to be a problem for the Caribbean’s fishing industry, resulting in millions of dollars in losses annually.

The issue was highlighted by Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica, Dermon Spence, when he addressed delegates at the Eleventh meeting of the ministerial council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) being held at Pegasus on Friday.

Spence was representing the outgoing Chairman of the CRFM, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica, Karl Samuda.

Ministers from around the Caribbean were informed that Jamaica’s Fisheries Industry alone is losing on average USD$11- $12 million annually.

Persons who engage in IUU fishing, particularly foreigners, continue to undermine the efforts to regulate the fisheries industry, lamented Spence. The acknowledgement of positive steps in eradicating IUU fishing did not go unnoticed however Executive Director of CRFM, Millington Haughton said that proper conservation and management factors are needed to eradicate the illegalities.

CRFM was established 15 years ago to challenge the situation and has since been able to make signifi-

cant strides in a lot of areas but there are still “current threats” that are affecting the regulations. The Caribbean Common Fisheries Policy (CCFP) has sought to counter those threats by fostering harmonisation across the Caribbean, when

activity for all countries. In the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) it contributes approximately US$40M to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs over 341,000 persons directly and indirectly.

And, in order to boost

held in Jamaica last March.

Holder pointed out that they have been continuously working to develop the sector’s capacity in the areas of strategic policy, marketing, research and innovation.

“As a CARICOM family we must be united and

Members of the head table at yesterday’s meeting, from left; Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica, Dermon Spence and Executive Director of CRFM, Millington Haughton it comes to sustainable management and development of the Region’s fisheries and aquaculture resources, with special emphasis on promoting the most efficient use of shared resources, while aiming to improve food security and reducing poverty in the Region.

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, who was dubbed the new Chairman of the CRFM said that the fisheries sector represents a very important economic

the sector the CRFM will deliberate on the progress of technical activities within the sector; seek guidance on the way forward; address matters which include effective management; address the adaptation to climate change and fisheries; and strengthen partnership with donors among other issues.

The body will also deliberate on the findings and recommendation from the 15th meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum (CFF)

not only seek to find solutions to ensure our survival but to mark our place in the global village…small economies like ours simply cannot survive in isolation and even though a majority of us are small islands and developing states situated in low lying coastal areas,” said the minister.

It was pointed out that with a maritime area larger than the land mass the Caribbean has resources that are of massive potential,

once utilised sustainably they can benefit from it for generations to come. It contributes to food nutrition and security to rural development. In Guyana fisheries contribute about 12 percent to the agriculture GDP. Guyana harvests about 42,999 metric tonnes of seafood and it adds US$78M to the foreign currency earnings through the export of seafood. The industry also employs over 15,000 people.

“Having such an important place in our economies, we recognise the challenges such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and we have taken the step to accede to the agreement on Port state measures of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO),” Holder said.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture continues to work with fisher folk to ensure that sustainable fishing is practiced. To this end, Guyana has installed vessel monitoring systems on the trawling fleet and has the standard turtle excluder devices and by-catch reduction devices together with a harvest control rule. All these measures would ensure that we fish sustainably, said Holder.

As they seek to further develop marine fisheries resources there is need to increase investment in aquaculture, therefore support to the sustainable development of aquaculture for both private and public sector per-

sonnel, must be forthcoming. There are however serious constraints to consider, including the high cost of inputs; the need to research new species for aquaculture; and market access.

“It must be noted that we are not the sole users of the marine resources and to avoid conflicts and to live in harmony with other users, it is important that more collaboration takes place at the regional and national levels between fisheries and environment and habitat, and the conversation and sustainable use of marine species.

Strengthening of linkages between the fisheries and tourism sectors in the region could produce significant economic benefits for local fishers and their communities and this is something that we need to devote more effort and resources to make a reality,” Minister Holder pointed out.

It was noted that greater participation is needed in national social security, health care, insurance and other similar programmes as a means of ensuring sustainability of their livelihoods and reducing their risk, especially in light of our vulnerability to climate change.

Holder mentioned that there is need for support for every effort in the implementation of sustainable development goal 14; to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Packed programme for Guyana Day in Canada

By Frederick Halley GUYANA Day 2017, under the theme “Enhancing the Awareness of Guyana in Canada’s sesquicentennial Year” (the 150th anniversary) is set for Sunday at the Horticulture Building, Lansdowne Urban Park, Ottawa, Ontario.

The auspicious occasion commemorates Guyana’s 51st Independence Anniversary and Canada’s 150th Confederation Anniversary, under the patronage of Her Excellency, Clarissa Riehl, High Commissioner of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to Canada.

Thousands of Guyanese-Canadians are expected

to participate in the celebrations which will also coincide with the Tulip Festival at Lansdowne Park and the Victoria Day holiday weekend.

The day’s programme includes formative displays by the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Business and the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-INVEST); exhibitions of Guyanese art and craft; Guyanese-Canadian manufactured food products; a food court featuring Guyanese cuisine; sampling of Guyana’s award-winning El Dorado rums; children’s interactive activities and cultural shows featuring outstanding Guyanese entertainers such as Bill Newman, Faith Amour,

Omesh Singh’s Wave band, Mumtaz Ali and the London Sisters.

According to the Guyana Day brochure, the fact that Guyana’s commemoration of Canada’s 150th anniversary has been scheduled to take place within the time frame of the country’s celebration of the 51st anniversary of independence, provides a significant opportunity for the recognition and affirmation of the important links that exist between Guyana and Canada.

“Both countries owe much to the significant role played in our development by the indigenous inhabitants in Canada: in Canada, the “First Nations”; in Guyana,

the “Amerindians.”

In her message to mark the occasion, High Commissioner Riehl disclosed that “over the years, Guyanese-Canadians have made significant contributions to their adopted homeland in the fields of law, government, education, medicine and sports. The Guyanese diaspora, through alumni and charitable organisations, has also made beneficial contributions to various communities and organisations across Guyana.

I wish to commend the Guyanese diaspora for their continued commitment to these endeavours.”

According to the high commissioner, “as we celebrate another milestone in our nation’s history, I wish to encourage the members

of our diaspora to recommit to contributing to the various spheres of Guyana’s development in any way that is deemed fit, all of which would redound to the further development of our beloved homeland for the benefit of future generations.

“In organising the Guyana Day 2017, we sought to provide a taste of Guyana such as our food, art and culture for the enjoyment of children and adults. I wish therefore to take this opportunity to enjoy the festivities. For our non-Guyanese friends, we hope that after visiting our event, you will be inspired to visit Guyana in the near future.”

Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Clarissa Riehl

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Floods and relief efforts in Region Eight Photos by the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido- Lowe, interacts with a mother who holds a baby at Chenapau, Region Eight

Residents of flood-affected Chenapau, Region Eight, collect supplies from an aircraft on Friday as the distribution of much-needed items to flood-hit communities in the region continues

Some residents of Chenapau, Region Eight, sit at a dry area in the village as they await much-needed supplies which were being distributed by government officials and the CDC.

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido- Lowe, greets an elderly woman from the flood- hit community of Chenapau, Region Eight

An inundated home located at Chenapau, Region Eight

Life goes on despite the challenges posed by floods in Chenapau. A mother washes on the stairs near floodwaters, while her children stay dry upstairs

The CDC staff along with soldiers from the GDF and CDC volunteers prepare flood-relief supplies for the residents of six villages in Region Eight, who have been affected by severe flooding.

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, along with a team of officials trek just after arriving in Region Eight on Friday. Also in photo are residents fetching much-needed supplies

An elderly resident of Chenapau, Region Eight paddles his canoe through floodwaters

A resident of Chenapau stands near his flood -affected home

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National Forestry Policy review begins with stakeholder consultation THE revision of the National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS) was officially launched on Wednesday with the first of several NFPS’ and National Forest Plan.

Minister of Natural Re-

sources,Raphael Trotman,in opening remarks at the first round of consultation at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown, said the review is timely. “Against the backdrop of changing circumstances

globally and nationally, we are happy that this review is taking place, and out of which we will have a policy that all of us,by all of us I mean government, civil society, and more importantly or most importantly the

Stakeholders engaged in discussion with the Consultancy Group ,TCG citizens of Guyana can feel happy and comfortable with,” Minister Trotman noted.

Guyana’s National Forestry Policy was last updated in 2011. Since then, new policies like the green economy, a push for more conservation by the President and change in standards including the European Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (EU FLEGT) have necessitated the need for a more relevant, useful and responsive policies and plans. The government in November invited expressions of interests through the Ministry of Natural Resources which has oversight responsibility for the forestry sector. Local Guyanese firm, The Consultancy Group (TCG), won the bid to conduct the review process in January.

Professor Rory Fraser is the lead consultant and assures that his team is competent to undertake the review. “I think we have a complement of people who can really help to understand the breaths of interests and activities in forest and how maybe we need to coalesce and make something more comprehensive and coherent about this particular patrimony,” Professor Fraser shared with stakeholders.

The team consists of foresters, an economist, social scientist and specialists in governance, information technology and facilitation and engagement. TCG began work on the

review process in February.

The purpose of the project is to develop a plan in support of the policy, as well as programmes and activities in support of the plan and some ways of monitoring and evaluating accomplishments.

“What we’re going to try to do is get to put together a policy that is flexible and responsive, provide documents in support of it that will help the agencies involved, the organisations involved and most importantly,civil society because we’re talking about the national patrimony,” Professor Fraser explained.

The revision will be carried out in three phases:The first phase will be consultations and this will be facilitated across the country. Wednesday’s consultation saw stakeholders sharing what is working well with the current Policy and Plan and what new issues should be considered. Stakeholders also shared the challenges encountered and their recommendations to address these challenges.

The consultations will also take into consideration issues like value added processes, mining and agriculture in the drafting of the revised NFPS. The review process is expected to be completed by the end of August with a finalised updated draft policy pending approval in the National Assembly.

Man accused of $1.7M theft remanded A STANLEYTOWN Squatting Area, West Bank Demerara, resident was remanded to prison by City Magistrate Leron Daly for the offence of break and enter with larceny.

It is alleged that Hemchan Hitlall on May 11, 2017 at Ekereku Top, Mazaruni River, broke and entered the dwelling home of Azeem Baksh and stole $311,000, 38 ounces of raw gold, a .32 pistol with four rounds of ammunition, an iron boat along with an engine, and other items totaling $1.7M. Police Prosecutor, Sanj Singh opposed bail on the grounds of the nature and gravity attached to the charge.

He also pointed out that Hitlall had given Station Street,

Hemchan Hitlall Kitty to the police as his address, which varies from the one he gave to court.

Magistrate Daly denied bail and remanded the accused until May 22, 2017 and the matter was transferred to the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

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Saiku to deliver tonite!

–– in GT’s biggest album launch ever THERE’S a lot that one could take away from listening to Guyanese artiste, Saiku Andrew’s debut album, “You”, which is exactly why it has been blowing up so big. And that is why, also, the anticipation just keeps growing and growing for the album’s concert launch, billed for tonight at the National Park.

The album includes two collaborations with Jamaica’s Prodigal Son, and the songs run deep with the emotions and experiences that Saiku himself went through in life, growing up with a single-mother, and eventually finding solace and a home in Christianity.

“The album is a collection of songs that gives life to my experiences growing up, and throughout the years.

It’s about me; about my life,” Saiku said.

“Life was never a bed of roses; it wasn’t even close to a bed. It was tough, hard living in a single-parent household with no father; no role model around, and Mom struggling to make ends meet, but mommy kept trying,” he told the Pepperpot late Thursday night.

The entire album was mixed and mastered in Jamaica, and produced by Danny Browne. Saiku credits Prodigal Son with initiating the project, after he saw

him singing last year.

Saiku is no novice to the music industry though, having been involved in singing way back in the early 1990s.

“It started with me discovering music around age 11; it evolved into me entering these local competitions that used to be had every year,” he said.

“I lost in one of those competitions in the first round, but the promoters selected me to go on tour to Caribanna, in Canada. And even though I didn’t go, that’s really where it started for me as a singer in public life.

“Then I became a Christian and started singing Gospel; I just felt that God wanted more. There was nothing dramatic about my conversion to Christianity; I was just at a place where I felt that the things that I was doing with my life wasn’t what God wanted for me.”

It was around the time that he took up Christianity, in the early 2000s, that he eventually linked up with local gospel singer and allround promoter, Kester D. However, things would eventually start phasing out for the 40-year-old, as he got more focused on starting, and providing for, his family.

It was when Prodigal Son was here on a tour last year that he heard Saiku singing and was blown away, and would not give up until he got Saiku back into the studio.

“I was disinterested at first,” Saiku admitted.

“They [Prodigal Son and his team] were here for a

tour, and I sang. And at that point, he said he recognised the talent and said he’s going to work with me to do some new music.

“We connected, discussing life issues and stuff like that. And he and my wife planned to get me in the studio.”

And what was meant to be just one song, eventually blossomed into talks about an EP, which eventually ended up being a 13-song album.

The album’s title track, “You”, was the first song to be written and recorded, and has already been a big hit with the fans; but the one that has really been gaining the popularity is his “Pillow could speak” track, which features Prodigal Son. But for Saiku, the one which means the most to him is “Mess to a Messenger”, the title of which speaks for itself.

“Growing up, my mom would try her best to keep me out of trouble. My mom always used to beat and pray; and she did that consistently.

So that song is deep to me; it speaks to that situation,” the father of three explained.

And now Saiku is just excited to see the album launch go down and deliver to the fans and supporters all that they’ve been craving for some weeks now.

But Saiku’s performance is not going to be the only act of the night, as the stage will also see performances by Jamaica’s Kevin Downswell, and “Double Double” singer, Atta Boafo, all the way from Ghana.

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Guyana Rugby’s ‘Bionic Man’ Richard Staglon

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Richard Staglon – Guyana Rugby’s ‘Bionic Man’

By Rawle Toney Should a book be written about the history of Rugby in Guyana and the Caribbean, certainly, an entire chapter would be based on the passion a n d commitment of Richard Staglon.

T h e 32-yearold’s success in all formats of the sport b o t h locall y and overseas is not by luck and today Staglon is probably one of the most recognisable and respected rugby player in the Caribbean.

Staglon recently starred for Guyana in their quest to defend their Rugby Americas North (RAN) 15s South Zone title. He scored

three tries against Barbados in the Green Machine’s 34-26 win in Bridgetown.

“I actually use to do track when I was first introduced t o Rugby in 2003 by my friend Travis Eastman, w h o told me to try out the game.

I told him the game was too tough and looked wild, but before you know it, I started p l a y i n g touch rugby, then full contact a n d it started getting addictive,” Staglon claimed, a s he chronicled his entrance into the game that he said

made him into the man he is today.

“The same time I started they were looking for players for the U-18 National team, and coming track, I was fast and I was fit, so it was easy for me to try out for the team, and from then, it was no turning back,” Staglon said, who played as a flanker in the 15s format and a ‘hooker’ in the 7s.

Staglon believes that he owes much of his success in the sport to his mother, calling her his number one fan, stating “especially when I first made the senior team, she would ensure that I don’t miss training, she would be at practice, she would be at every game if she could, so, she was like the biggest rugby fan for me.”.

“But you know, I must say, when I wanted to stop do track complete and play rugby full time, I told my father and he said to me that the decision was on me because he was the one pushing me on the track but he said something I’ll never forget: ‘Be someone that people will talk about and not someone people will have to ask about’.”

“I was doing really well in track and field at the time, I won medals at the CARIFTA Games, I never missed Nationals (Schools Championship), and so my dad just wanted me to be committed to rugby if I’m leaving athlet-

ics, because he wanted me to do well. So I started playing rugby and became a fanatic,” said Staglon.

Staglon’s obsession for the game would result to his being one of the new faces for the sport locally at the time, and as he put it, switching from track to rugby was one of the best decisions he has

made.

“My biggest accomplishment in the sport would be winning that 15s championship hands down: that’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life!” Staglon exclaimed, speaking profoundly of the joy he felt when Guyana toppled USA (South) 3027 in 2014 to win their maiden

NACRA (now known as Rugby Americas North) 15s title in Atlanta.

“Besides winning that first Sevens title in 2006, that 15s trophy, I remember when Ryan (Gonsalves) was taking that penalty kick, I was on my knees praying for it to go through because if it did, it meant that we won,” Staglon said.

Eight Caribbean 7s title, one 15s title, Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Gold are all listed proudly on Staglon’s curriculum vitae, even though he also played, with success in the professional leagues in England and Canada.

“Rugby is the sport that is played in heaven. Rugby is beyond other sports; the respect, the love … it’s totally different. I could compare because I would’ve played a lot of sports; football, table tennis, basketball, track and field … I could compare,” Staglon noted.

Staglon said the stigma attached to rugby is their heavy use of alcohol and seemingly hooligan-like behaviour on the field, but he explained that it comes with a culture.

The Caribs Rugby Football Club player believes that the sport and the players, really don’t get the respect they deserve in Guyana, but the players are fuelled by their passion and more so love for the game.

STAG Elite League; a success despite challenges – Forde Ten teams to contest season three

By Rawle Toney PRESIDENT of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde, has deemed the second installation of the STAG Elite League a success, despite the many challenges faced by his Federation.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were crowned champions of the GFF’s National League and will pocket the $6M first place prize, while Fruta Conquerors took the second spot in the sixteam league when the curtains came down on Sunday last at the Camp Ayanganna Ground.

Much controversy had surround the staging of the league, as last year winners Slingerz FC, along with second place finishers Alpha United, Pele FC and the Georgetown Football Club (GFC), all challenged the expansion of the league from eight to ten teams.

The clubs objected to the manner in which the GFF added Victoria Kings and Linden’s Topp XX, calling the move ‘unconstitutional’,

and had sought several avenues to deliberate over their participation after officially pulling out in protest.

Forced by the move of the clubs refusing to participate and following consultation with both CONCACAF and world-governing body FIFA, the GFF kicked-off their league on November 20 with the GDF, Fruta Conquerors, Victoria Kings, Topp XX, Buxton United

and Monedderlust.

“I think the league showed that we will not have this game be held at ransom” Forde told Chronicle Sport in an exclusive interview yesterday.

Forde described the league as a positive for Guyana’s football, given the fact that it showed in the end, “football was the winner.”

“The league came with many challenges” Forde explained, while adding “I

could attest to our (GFF) attempt to have the issue resolved with the four clubs, as well as my personal effort with the owners/presidents of the clubs to come to a peaceful resolution, but everything failed. In the end, it was a win-win situation for everyone.”

Forde also praised the level of play of the GDF team, noting that their win should not be seen as them dominating in the absence of both Alpha United and Slingerz FC and to an extent Pele FC, but rather their complete

transformation.

“The GDF was clearly a cut above the other clubs and that has much to do with the way they approached the game and that was good for the game” Forde highlighted.

The GFF president showered title sponsors Ansa McAl with praises for sticking with the Federation during their dilemma, calling them (Ansa McAl) “true supporter of the game locally.”

“They stuck with us, invested more despite everything that happened and showed their support beyond

what was required of them.

Truly, they were the backbone of this league, along with our other sponsors who came on board and supported us wholeheartedly” Forde said.

Meanwhile, the GFF top brass mentioned “we will head back to the drawing board and make a few fundamental changes which will see ten teams playing in season three. Our(goal) is to have a full professional league in Guyana; it will take some time, but it will happen eventually.”

The Victorious GDF team

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson embracing new role with the GFF

By Rawle Toney

CONSIDERED by many the most prolific forward of his generation, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, the first Guyana-based player to feature in the USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS), is ready to embrace his new role in National football, where he

teams.

The 34-year-old Richardson, speaking exclusively with Chronicle Sport yesterday, believes that while he still has much to offer on the pitch, he’s just as, or in some cases, more valuable to Guyana off the pitch, helping to mould the next ‘Jackie Chan’.

In 2009, following an

League with former Trinidad and Tobago Pro-League Club Joe Club, Richardson had several MLS clubs on their knees, all wanting the inexhaustible Guyanese forward.

However, following a trade with Toronto FC, Richardson signed with the Colorado Rapids.

“If I had the exposure and mentorship like these young-

Goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco #1 of Mexico heads the ball away from Richardson at BBVA Compass Stadium on October 12, 2012 in Houston, Texas.

serves as a mentor coach for the country’s youth

exceptional performance in the CONCACAF Champions

sters getting right now, only God knows where I would’ve

been,” said Richardson, who will work with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) under their revamped youth programme, put in place

by Technical Director Ian Greenwood.

“I think it’s something I always wanted to do,” Richardson highlighted, adding “I’ve been doing a lot of coaching at the school level with Morgan (Learning Centre), so I have some experience from there, but also my knowledge of the game. I’m glad I’m given an opportunity to share that with these youngsters.”

Richardson laughed when told that there might never be another ‘Gregory Richardson’ of Guyana’s football, but stated “that’s a good thing when you think about it. Who knows, sometime one of these youngsters I’m helping to understand the game can turn out to be better than me.

In fact, I would be glad if one of them turns out to be better than me and achieve the things that I didn’t because I didn’t have this in my time.”

His usually misunderstood ‘bad boy’ persona led many to cast judgement following his departure from the MLS, but Richardson would answer his critics with a sensational season with the Carolina RailHawks; a team that competes in US Football second tier.

Richardson would later sign with the Puerto Rico Islanders, and would return to the CONCACAF Champions League after helping the club win the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Champi-

Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson

onship in 2011 when the final leg of the tournament was held in Guyana.

“That’s in the past now man, I’ve moved on and I’m just happy with a chance to help the youths. Whoever wants to talk still, I don’t have a problem, I have nothing left to prove to people,” Richardson said.

Richardson has played on almost every national team for Guyana since first debuting at the U-17 level.

His first game at the international level was against the Netherlands Antilles when he netted a double in Curacao.

The striker later became a

regular feature on Guyana’s scorecard ever since and his performances only got better over the years.

“I have like a solid two years left in me right now,” said Richardson when asked about his willingness to don the colours of the ‘Golden Jaguars’ once again.

He added “If I get a call-up, I’ll go because I’m still active, I’m still fit and I can still do great things for the National team, so if the coach calls me up, I will be present. I want to play for Guyana, but I’m glad the GFF think that I can help these youths as well.”

Guyana Horse Racing Authority releases new classification list IN AN effort to ensure a level playing field in the sport of horse racing locally, the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) has recently released the classification list for horses eligible to race in Guyana for 2017.

The Classification Committee met on May 5, at the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Development Association in Rose Hall Town to confirm the list.

That meeting was as a result of the formation of a nine-member interim body which was elected last month to run the affairs of the GHRA, Businessman Poonai Bhiroog was elected to head the body. The newly elected body replaced the previous administration which was inactive

for a number of years, following the resignation of the-then president Vickram Ouditt who demitted office in February last year.

Other members of the executives are: Fazal Habibulla (First vice-president), Dennis De Roop, (Second vice-president), Mohindra Persaud (Third vice-president), Godwyn Allicock (secretary), Francis Chichester (treasurer) and Issac Dallo (assistant secretary/treasurer).

The committee members are: Nazrudeen Mohammed (Junior), Therbhuwan Jagdeo and Lakeram Sookdeo.

The Jockeys’ representative is Alan Padmore while Colin Elcock and Zaheer Sheriff are the trainers’ and horse owners’ representatives.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

A leader among her peers stands national junior squash champion Taylor Fernandes THERE’S no question about it, national champion Taylor Fernandes is by far Guyana’s best female junior squash player, solidifying her standing as she won her second consecutive national Girls’ Under-19 last weekend, when the Woodpecker Products Ltd Junior National Squash Championships concluded.

It was an easy year for the Caribbean junior finalist with her top adversary Larissa Wiltshire out of the way.

She’s now looking forward to hopefully leading Guyana to another successful Caribbean title in the Junior CASA Championships next July.

And when it comes to being a leader, 18-year-old Taylor is one who’s not afraid to take the bulls by the horns.

“What is good about Taylor is that she’s a great leader, she’s always looking to give extra, other than just on the squash courts,” said David Fernandes, Taylor’s dad, and a Guyana Squash Association (GSA) executive.

Describing some of his daughter’s other great qualities as a squash player, Fernandes said: “She has a bunch of talent, she’s a good athlete, and her technique is really good,” This year will end Taylor’s eight-year run competing in the junior national and Caribbean championships.

But while she has over the years succeeded in winning many a national title, she’s still chasing her first Caribbean title.

The Marian Academy sixth-former had hoped that last year might have been her turn, but her compatriot and longtime opponent Larissa Wiltshire stopped her in her tracks, and claimed the Caribbean Girls’ Under-19 title.

So this year is Taylor’s final

Taylor dives with a backhand during her Junior CASA Girls’ U-19 final match last year.

chance to give it a go for that elusive Caribbean title.

Notwithstanding, Taylor does not need a Caribbean title to feel proud of what she has accomplished as a squash player, saying that when she looks back over the years at how she has developed, she’s very satisfied with what she sees. So whether or not she gets a Caribbean title she’s still happy with how far she has come.

“If it happens, it happens.

If I don’t get it I’m not really going to be upset with myself. I see myself as having achieved what I wanted to achieve, but if I win the title that would be the icing on the cake,” Taylor expressed.

Taylor admits that at first

she was not that serious about taking up the sport competitively; she just enjoyed

observing from the sideline, and attending matches to watch her sisters play. But

then one day her cousin – world-ranked squash player Nicolette Fernandes put a racquet in her hand and told her it was time to do more than just watch.

“At first I started off very slowly, I was never one to really push for it; but as I got older I realised the importance of it and how good I could be. So I kept improving and getting better and stronger, and here I am today,” Taylor shared of the experience.

Finally, it was in 2009 that she captured her first title – the Girls’ Under-11 national champion. That year she was also adjudged the Most Improved Girl, and also got her first taste of competing at

the Junior CASA tournament, in the individual category.

The very next year she was selected to be on the national team at Junior CASA, and in Girls’ Under-13 individuals she made it all the way to the semi-finals. By 2012 she claimed the Girls’ Un-er 15 national title, and was also second in the Girls’ Under-17 category.

She defended her Under-15 title in 2013, and was again awarded the Most Improved Girl for the year, and finished third in the Girls’ Under-17 category. She continued to place in the top three, until finally returning for another title last year, beating out Wiltshire for the Girls’ Under-19 national title before Wiltshire went on to get the better of her in the Caribbean match.

As she looks to now enter the senior category, Taylor says she’s not really looking towards following in Nicolette’s footsteps and going pro. Nonetheless squash will still be something that she will always be passionate about.

“It’s been tough (being a squash player), but squash has always been my main thing, even over academics.

“Once exams are over the focus has always been squash, working with coach every single day.” Taylor said.

“It teaches you a lot of discipline; you have to control your emotions and especially when you’re the captain, and being the oldest on the team, you have a lot of kids looking up to you and you always have to give it your best, and keep focused.”

A Level II coach, Taylor says as she gets older and advances, she would like to continue in the sports as a coach.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Emotions running high as athletes prepare for SA Junior Championships

From pride to excitement and apprehension, the emotions and expectations are running high among young Guyanese athletes as they prepare for the biggest competition they will ever compete in on home soil – the South American Junior (U20) Championships which is just two weeks away.

With the competition being held locally, it opens many doors, including the opportunity for several athletes who may never have made national team to go overseas to be able to experience the atmosphere of an international meet, as their own family and friends are cheering them on.

“For me it’s a privilege, this is one way of putting Guyana on the map since athletics hasn’t been that much of a major sport in Guyana,” said CARIFTA Games silver medallist, Anfernee Headecker.

Others like CARIFTA gold medallist Claudrice McKoy doesn’t know where to begin describing just how she feels about something of just a big magnitude coming to Guyana.

A distance runner, McKoy is particularly looking at the altitude advantage, since most other South America countries have higher altitudes, and colder climates, putting Guyanese athletes at a disadvantage when they have to compete in these countries.

“Well I don’t really know what to feel, but it means a lot to me. I’m glad that I get to be a part of it. I know it’s going to be a bit stiffer than CARIFTA, and I’m just waiting to have the experience, and see how it goes,” McKoy expressed.

McKoy is currently in the process of writing her Carib-

bean Secondary Education Certificate exams, just like many others on the team. This of course will be a challenge for those athletes who have been finding it hard to juggle the demands of studying and preparing for a championship of this magnitude.

“It’s hard, because I still have to put in a lot of training

to go,” said Police Joanna Archer, who has completed just four of her eight subjects.

For Archer, seeing the event come to Guyana is a matter of national pride, and she can’t wait for the overseas teams to get here, and have Guyana show off just what we can do.

“It’s the first time it’s com-

Anfernee Headecker

and I go home really tired, and I have to force myself to wake up early in the morning to study just to make ends meet.

But being an athlete without academics makes no sense so I still have to balance my academics and my athletics, in order to reach where I want

Daniel Williams

ing to Guyana so I’m really excited, because a lot of fans will be there, and it’s time for us Guyana to prove what we can’t do in front of them,” conveyed Police athlete Joanna Archer.

But it’s not just all joy that she’s feeling, the weight of the expectations that many will be having for the local side to do the most, and the pressures that come with that, are also at the forefront of her mind.

“I’m nervous because competing at home in front of the entire Guyana you have to give them something to brag about, but other than that I’m just focused. I know I can do it,” Archer said.

Archer was one of the athletes who missed out on being on the team that attended the CARIFTA Games in April.

Under the pressure of studying Archer says she just could not put in the kind of training she needed to reach the level of achieving the qualifying times to make that team.

South American Youth Championships silver medallist Daniel Williams, on the other hand, is not looking to be too self-confident as he heads into this meet.

After finishing with two silver and a bronze medal at last year’s Youth Championships in November, Williams was confident of CARIFTA

Games medal last April, but had his hopes dashed as he returned home empty handed.

“At CARIFTA I had high expectations and I didn’t do well, so for this Championships I’m not going in with much expectations, and will wait and see what happens,” he shared. He’s among those who feel a sense of pride from seeing the competition come to local shores.

“I feel very proud for us to be hosting these Championships; hopefully it will bring other Championships to the country and hopefully it will help raise the standards of athletics in Guyana,” he said.

A sixth form student of the Mackenzie High School in Linden, Williams is also facing harsh academic demands as he takes on his Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

Claudrice McKoy

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

LeBron James says last year’s title run hasn’t lifted burden: ‘I still can’t sleep’ LeBron James does not like it when reporters ask him if things are “easy” for him.

While the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar routinely makes dominance look simple, he generally wants people to know the incredible amount of dedication that he has put into his craft.

James is consumed by the work of winning titles and chasing Jordan, and bringing a championship to Cleveland last season has not changed his approach.

At Friday’s shoot-around before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, James rejected the notion that going through the playoffs is any different as the defending champs.

“I think it’s the same process,” James said. “Since we all came together and this team has been formed, we wanted to compete for a championship. And this has been no (different). That’s

just the word every day. But we want to always follow the process and understand that you can’t shortcut the process. But our ultimate goal is to compete for a championship, and we’ve been able to put ourselves in a position to do that for the three years that we’ve been together. So that’s been pretty constant.”

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, however, said that last year’s comeback in the NBA Finals has made them more confident. They have the experience of digging themselves out of what seemed like the deepest hole imaginable, and now they can lean on that. In these playoffs, they are still undefeated.

“I think from a year ago, I just think of doing everything to try to win a championship, and then when you finally win a championship, you have that confidence, that championship swag I guess they call it, that you can overcome a lot of things,”

LeBron James

Lue said.

“Especially the way we did it last year. We have that confidence when things get tough, when things get hard, that we can pull through. Just having that confidence factor is big for us.”

Informed of his coach’s comment, James went anoth-

er direction entirely.

“Well, we’ve always been a confident bunch, and we knew, I think, this season, our main thing was health,” James said.

“We couldn’t get healthy.

So we couldn’t understand or see exactly what team we could become because

we couldn’t get healthy, we couldn’t get the lineups out there on the court, we couldn’t get the rhythm and the camaraderie on the court because coach had to go with so many different lineups and couldn’t really fully see what the roster was all about because of injuries. So being

healthy at this point in the season really helps a lot.”

If Cleveland appears to be better than ever, then, James believes it is simply because it is whole - not at all because a burden has been lifted and the team is at ease.

“No,” James said. “You can ask somebody else that.

But no, not for me. I still can’t sleep.”

Last season, Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins described a restless James watching the Golden State Warriors play late at night and seething himself to sleep during the regular season. After Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors last summer, Jenkins reported that James started waking up at 5 a.m. so he could start his workouts by 6. That second story ended with Lue saying he hoped the championship would take away some pressure and James countered that he will “have peace when I’m done”.

James, obviously, is not done yet.

Inter Milan could sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, according to club director Inter Milan now have the financial power to move for Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo as they are now one of the richest clubs in the world, according to club director Piero Ausilio.

The Serie A side were taken over by Chinese investor the Suning Group last year and now claim to have the financial clout to compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United in the transfer market.

Inter have been in steady decline since Jose Mourinho left them as treble winners in 2010, not winning a trophy for six seasons and failing to get into the Champions League since 2012.

They look set to miss out on Europe altogether this season as they are eighth in the Serie A table but Ausilio said they can compete for a marquee signing as they look to rebuild.

“The new Chinese owners could comfortably buy the most famous players in the world, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, but the truth is we can’t do that because of Financial Fair Play, which takes into account the development of the club,” he told students at a class in the Universita degli Studi in Milan.

“It’s a path that takes time, ideas and management. We have to make as few mistakes as possible, certainly fewer than we’ve made this term.

“Every day I read about players we’re supposed to be buying, but the truth is we

must respect the salary cap. Our revenue is €200-€230m (£171£197m), whereas Juventus – who participate regularly in the Champions League – make €400m (£343m).”

He also revealed that Inter tried to sign Pablo Dybala before his move to Juventus but the Serie A leaders outbid them.

“Inter tried to sign Dybala, but there was a €20m (£17.1m) difference with Juventus and in the end he went there,” he added.

“Today it is not possible to think of spending €200m or €300m (£171m-£257m) on the transfer market. It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s simply impossible.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

The rose that grew from the concrete

By Rawle Toney “DID you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature’s law is wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared,” Tupac Shakur – The Rose that grew from the concrete.

Guyana’s rising star athlete Claudrice McKoy’s life could very well be summed up in the deceased famous rapper’s (Tupac Shakur) poem.

On April 16, McKoy clocked ten minutes 39.03 seconds (10:39.03) to win gold in the Girls 3 000 metres Open at this year’s CARIFTA Games in Curacao, finishing ahead of Jamaicans Britnie Dixon (10:44.63) and Kayan Green (10:45.76).

She celebrated with the Golden Arrowhead draped around her shoulder, and a smile as wide as the Demerara River and attributed her win to her mother’s hard work and sacrifice.

McKoy then went on to win bronze in the 1500m, and added to Guyana’s historic tally at the games (four gold, one silver and three bronze).

However, as they say, not all that glitters is gold. McKoy, a student of Chase’s Academic Foundation, is currently writing nine subjects at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, but while the 16-year-old has been one of Guyana’s top junior athletes, especially over the last two years, her success comes with an equal, or at times, more challenges.

The athlete lives with her mom, Carla Adams, a single parent of five and a security guard by profession, on a piece of land with other squatters in Tucville, Georgetown.

Adams would do extra work to make ends meet for her children, but with tears, the woman

- Claudrice McKoy told Chronicle Sport yesterday that seeing her daughter struggle to cope with studying without electricity for her exams is painful, among other things.

“I’ve made several attempts at GPL and nothing.

The last time I went, with a letter from City Council, they told me to plant a pole in front of my yard. I did that, but when they came, mischievous neighbours told them a fancy story and they left,” a saddened Adams explained.

“It’s hard. I would have to use my phone light to study” McKoy said, pointing out that despite a number of challenges, she’s still overly excited about representing Guyana and showcasing her God-gifted ability on the track.

NO HELP! McKoy made her second appearance at the CARIFTA Games this year after finishing fifth in both the 3 000m and 1500m last year, facing the same athletes from across the Caribbean.

However, her success came

Claudrice McKoy

Yadram, Persaud in WI U-19 squad to tour South Africa

BATTING sensation Bhaskar Yadram and wicketkeeper batsman Joshua Persaud have been included in the West Indies Under-19 squad for the tour to South Africa next month.

While the entire squad is yet to be made public, secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, Anand Sanasie, confirmed on Wednesday that the two Guyanese will feature in the squad.

Both players were a part of the West Indies Under-19 training camp held last December. Subsequently

Yadram represented the West Indies Under-19 team in this year Regional Super50 tournament before making his first-class debut against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the just concluded West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League (PCL).

Persaud, who plays for the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) was part of the West Indies Under-17 team that tour the United Kingdom in 2015.

The tour is part of the region’s preparation for

their title defence of the International Cricket Council’s Under-19 World Cup. The Caribbean side will play five 50-over games against the South Africa Under-19s and two warmup matches against local opposition, in a tour set to run from June 30 to July 27. The Caribbean side will also journey to Zimbabwe for further ODI engagements.

The World Cup is scheduled for New Zealand, January 12 – February 4, 2018. (Rajiv Bisnauth)

through hard work and determination, fuelled by the confidence of her coach Julian Edmonds that she’s destined for greatness, and most importantly, her mother in her corner.

“The only help I get is from my mother with whatever little she could afford,” the well-spoken diminutive athlete told Chronicle Sport in an exclusive interview yesterday.

She added, “I have no sponsorship but I see myself doing great things for myself and country. I already went to the CARIFTA Games, I did excellent there and there’s room for improvement but as I mentioned, there’s no one helping really, just my mother.”

“There’s no support system right now. Training is in the afternoons and then I have to study at nights and the only problem is the electricity right now in our area. I mean, mommy tried many times to have it done legally at GPL, but nothing has been done as yet. It’s very difficult because I have to train and study to balance

my academics with my athletics and there isn’t any time available,” McKoy said.

SCHOLARSHIP At the National Sports Awards last month, Director of Sport Christopher Jones announced that the athletes who represented Guyana at the CARIFTA will all be given full scholarships to the University of Guyana, but McKoy, though welcoming the news, believes that there must be an avenue for her to excel in athletics.

“It’s great yes, but again, the academic part is there yes, but what about my athletics?

There’s no room at the University of Guyana for that, for someone like me,” McKoy reasoned.

She continued, “Since the CARIFTA Games, there has been a lot of offers because people saw my ability but at the moment, I’m trying to focus on getting good grades, you know, be balanced in both academics and athletics.”

McKoy will be among other local athletes who are set to represent Guyana at the June 3-5 South American Youth Championships, to be hosted at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

An introduction to Curling THE Guyana Curling Federation (GCF) last Tuesday hosted its first public event, held at the Giftland Mall, in an attempt to properly introduce Guyanese to the new sport.

However, many were still confused as it relates to the objective of the game and how it’s played.

What is Curling?

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules and shuffleboard.

How is it played?

Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called rocks, across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a circular target marked on the ice. Each team has eight stones. The purpose is to accumulate the highest score for a game; points are scored for the stones resting closest to the centre of the house at the conclusion of each end, which is completed when both teams have thrown all of their stones. A game usually consists of eight or ten ends.

The curler can induce a curved path by causing the stone to slowly turn as it slides, and the path of the rock may be further influenced by two sweepers with brooms who accompany it as it slides down the sheet, using the brooms to alter the state of the ice in front of the stone. A great deal of strategy and teamwork go into choosing the ideal path and placement of a stone for each situation, and the skills of the curlers determine how close to the desired result the stone will achieve. This gives curling its nickname of “chess on ice” ORIGINS AND HISTORY Curling was invented in medieval Scotland, with the first written reference to a contest using stones on ice coming from the records of Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire, in February 1541. Two paintings, “Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap” and “The Hunters in the Snow” (both dated 1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder depict Flemish peasants curling — Scotland and the Low Countries had strong trading and cultural links during this period, which is also evident in the history of golf.

The word curling first

appears in print in 1620 in Perth, Scotland, in the preface and the verses of a poem by Henry Adamson.

The game was (and still is, in Scotland and Scottish-settled regions like southern New Zealand) also known as “the roaring game” because of the sound the stones make while traveling over the pebble (droplets of water applied to the playing surface). The verbal noun curling is formed from the Scots (and English) verb curl, which describes the motion of the stone.

In the early history of curling, the playing stones were simply flat-bottomed river stones, which were of inconsistent size, shape and smoothness. Unlike today, the thrower had little control over the ‘curl’ or velocity and relied more on luck than on precision, skill and strategy.

Today, the game is most firmly established in Canada, having been taken there by Scottish emigrants.

The Royal Montreal Curling Club, the oldest established sports club still active in North America, was established in 1807. The first curling club in the United States was established in 1830, and the game was introduced to Switzerland and Sweden before the end of the 19th century, also

by Scots. Today, curling is

played all over Europe and has spread to Brazil, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Korea.

The first world championship for curling was limited to men and was known as the Scotch Cup, held in Falkirk and Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1959. The

first world title was won by the Canadian team from Regina, Saskatchewan, skipped

by Ernie Richardson.

PURPOSE The purpose of the game is to score points by getting stones closer to the house centre, or the “button”, than

the other team’s stones. Players from either team alternate in taking shots from the far side of the sheet. An end is complete when all eight rocks from each team have been delivered, a total of sixteen stones. If the teams are tied at the end of the game, play continues for as many ends as may be required to break the tie. The winner is the team with the highest score after all ends have been completed. A game may be conceded if considered unwinnable.

International competitive games are generally ten ends, so most of the national championships that send a representative to the World Championships or Olympics also play ten ends. However, there is a movement on the World Curling Tour to make the games only eight ends. Most tournaments on that tour are eight ends, as are the vast majority of recreational games.

In international competition, each side is given 73 minutes to complete all of its throws. Each team is also allowed two-minute long timeouts per 10-end game.

If extra ends are required, each team is allowed 10 minutes of playing time to complete its throws and one added 60-second timeout for each extra end. However, the

“thinking time” system, in which the delivering team’s game timer stops as soon as the shooter’s rock crosses the t-line during the delivery, is becoming more popular, especially in Canada.

This system allows each team 38 minutes per 10 ends, or 30 minutes per 8 ends, to make strategic and tactical decisions, with 4 minutes and 30 seconds an end for extra ends.

The “thinking time” system was implemented after it was recognised that teams playing aggressively (using draws and other low-weight shots which take more time for the stones to come to rest) were essentially being penalised in terms of the time they had available compared to teams which primarily use hits which require far less time per shot.

SCORING The winner is the team having the highest number of accumulated points at the completion of ten ends.

Points are scored at the conclusion of each of these ends as follows: when each team has thrown its eight stones, the team with the stone closest to the button wins that end; the winning team is then awarded one point for each of its own stones lying closer to the button than the opponent’s closest stone.

Only stones that are in the house are considered in the scoring. A stone is in the house if it lies within the 12-foot (3.7 m) zone or any portion of its edge lies over the edge of the ring. Since the bottom of the stone is rounded, a stone just barely in the house will not have any actual contact with the ring, which will pass under the rounded edge of the stone, but it still counts. This type of stone is known as a biter.

It may not be obvious to the eye which of two rocks is closer to the button (centre) or if a rock is actually biting or not. There are specialized devices to make these determinations, but these cannot be brought out until after an end is completed.

Therefore, a team may make strategic decisions during an end based on assumptions of rock position that turn out to be incorrect.

The score is marked on a scoreboard, of which there are two types; the baseball type and the club scoreboard.

37

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Beaton earns maiden T20I call-up ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Fast bowling seemed to have been uppermost in the minds of the West Indies selection panel, when they chose the 13-member squad for their upcoming three Twenty20 Internationals against Afghanistan next month in St Kitts.

They have chosen to rest Jason Holder, sought to give the attack an edge with the recall of Jerome Taylor to international duty and cast an eye to the future with the choice of Ronsford Beaton as the only newcomer in the squad to be led by Carlos Brathwaite.

Holder has been a regular member of the T20I squad since his debut three years ago, but Courtney Browne, the chairman of the West Indies selection panel, said the lanky Test and One-day International captain has been given a break with a view to having him recharged and ready for significant ODI contests in the next two months.

West Indies face a race against time to qualify directly for the 2019 ICC World Cup to be hosted by England and Wales, and the selectors clearly see Holder’s role as important to the team’s bid to avoid having to play in the qualifying tournament next year in Bangladesh.

The World Cup will feature 10 teams with hosts England, and the top seven other teams in the ICC ODI Rankings on September 30 this year, earning automatic qualification with the remaining two spots being decided at the qualifying tournament.

“He has requested a break and, after discussion with the staff, we have granted him this period to refresh himself and prepare for the upcoming ODIs against Afghanistan and India.”

As a consequence of Holder’s absence, veteran fellow fast bowler Taylor gets a chance to give the selectors cogent proof that he is serious about fully resum-

ing his international career, after he had announced his retirement from Tests and ODIs last year.

Taylor has played 23 T20Is for West Indies, the last of which was against Pakistan in September 2016, in addition to 46 Tests and 85 One-day Internationals, and is part of a core of experienced players that includes veteran batsman Marlon Samuels, spinners Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine, as well as marauding batsman Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons that Browne hoped would fortify the squad in the game’s shortest format.

“After the T20I series against Pakistan, we felt that it was important to keep the same group together so that the coaches can continue developing the young players,” he said.

“This, coupled with the vast T20 experience of some of our senior players, can help us to build a very formidable unit.

“In developing a high

Walter Moore, FF Jaro coach here for talent-spotting exercise FORMER Golden Jaguars defender Walter Moore and his club FF Jaro coach Kristian Heames yesterday told a gathering of reporters that his arrival for the talent-spotting exercise with his coach is a dream that’s about to come true.

Moore and Heames will conduct a talent identification programme which started yesterday and will conclude tomorrow, and will result in potential players being identified for trials and possible professional contracts in Europe.

“This is something I always wanted to do. I always said that when I’m done playing for Guyana, I want to be able to give the young and upcoming players a chance. I told my coach about it and then I contacted the GFF, so now here I am,” said Moore.

This initiative is part of the new philosophy of the technical programme of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), which actively seeks to involve past and present

national players as part of the technical development programme.

The GFF’s Technical Director, Ian Greenwood, said the idea is to use both former and current National players, to help set up and work with youth programmes, which will in turn help those players to better understand the game.

Moore and Heames will participate along with Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson in the national U-17 camp and will be involved in the assessment of players as well as coaching sessions.

Moore will join the list of former national players who are employed by the GFF in the execution of the technical development programmes, the others being Charles Pollard, Bryan Joseph, Anthony Benfield, Tricia Munroe and Akilah Castello.

“I think Walter (Moore), being here and wanting to do his part for Guyana’s football, symbolises that our mes-

sage of youth development is reaching our former players,” explained the GFF president Wayne Forde.

Forde further thanked Moore for his more-thantimely commitment to the development of football in Guyana, calling it a “step in the right direction”.

Moore retired from international football after appearing in 103 games for Guyana at all levels.

The 32-year-old made the announcement after a 4-2 loss to visiting Jamaica eliminated the Golden Jaguars from the 2016/17 Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup. Moore competed for Guyana for more than a decade and was part of numerous memorable moments. He was a member of the squad that got past Bermuda, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago to advance to the third round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup; the farthest the nation ever advanced in the competition.

performance unit, there is never room for complacency and our expectation is to win against a team that is ranked lower in the ICC Rankings.”

On the inclusion of Beaton, Browne said: “Our head coach Stuart Law has asked for someone who can add some firepower to the attack. We felt that Ronsford has shown he can bowl with sustained pace in T20 cricket and we are confident he will do very well.”

The 24-year-old Beaton has not quite lived up to the promise he showed as a precocious teenage fast bowler and has grabbed 31 wickets from 36 T20 matches, most of which have been for either the Guyana Amazon Warriors or Trinidad & Tobago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.

All-rounder Jonathan Carter, who was part of the training squad named ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan in April, was left out, along with opener Andre Fletcher and left-arm

spinner Veerasammy Permaul, but have been named in a 12-member, Ashley Nurse-led WICB President’s XI squad that will play a warm-up match against the Afghans before the start of the T20I series.

“This is an opportunity for the experienced players to restate their desire to represent West Indies again by way of performance and the inexperienced players to show their ability at a higher level with a view to being considered for selection in the future,” said Browne.

Nicholas Pooran, whose participation in the last regional season hit a snag, when he chose to play in the Bangladesh Premier League and was subsequently suspended by the WICB, is one of the players named in the President’s XI squad.

Afghanistan famously beat West Indies, by six runs, the last time both sides played in a T20I, at the World T20 last year in India before Darren Sammy’s side moved on

to win the tournament.

SQUADS: WEST INDIES: Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams WICB PRESIDENT’S XI: Ashley Nurse (captain), Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Miguel Cummins, Andre Fletcher, Delorn Johnson, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Nicholas Pooran, Raymon Reifer, Devon Thomas.

ITINERARY May 30: WICB President’s XI v Afghanistan - Warner Park, St Kitts June 2: 1st Twenty20 International - Warner Park 3: 2nd Twenty20 International - Warner Park 5: 3rd Twenty20 International - Warner Park

Three medals for Guyana athletics team at Islamic Games GUYANA’S Emanuel Ar- the women’s long jump. tion remains, which will begin chibald finished with a season’s best 7.36m in the men’s long jump, while Alita Moore clocked 55.81 seconds and finished sixth in the women’s 400m, as Guyana wrapped up their athletics competition at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday.

This leaves the athletics team with just the three medals, achieved by Olympian Winston George and Natrena Hooper.

George won silver in the 400m and bronze in the 200m, while Hooper won bronze in

Guyana is expected to participate in six of the 21 disciplines contested. Of the six only the table tennis team’s’competi-

Emanuel Archibald

today.

The other sporting discipline Guyana were a part of were boxing, judo, taekwondo, and swimming.

Guyana lost in the first rounds of the boxing, judo and swimming, while in the taekwondo Guyana’s Adrian Spellen made it into the quarter-finals after he defeated Mozambique’s Mario Ferreira, 17 points to 14.

However, in the semi-finals he went down against Iran’s Ahmad Mohammad, 7 points to 21.

Ireland trounced by clinical Bangladesh IRELAND’S poor recent form continued yesterday as they were easily beaten by Bangladesh with more than 20 overs unused.

Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar shone as Bangladesh thumped Ireland by eight wickets in their latest oneday international tri-series fixture at Malahide.

Both teams came into yesterday’s contest seeking their first victory in a series that also features New Zealand, but Ireland’s hopes of getting off the mark were significantly dented as they slumped to 181 all out after being put in to bat.

Seamer Mustafizur was chiefly responsible for the hosts’

poor showing, returning 4-23 from nine overs, while there were two wickets apiece for skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and debutant spinner Sunzamul Islam.

Bangladesh then cantered to their target with 22.5 overs to spare, Sarkar underpinning the successful chase with 87 not out from 68 deliveries - an innings featuring 11 fours and two sixes.

Sarkar, who was given a life on 57, shared 95 for the first wicket with Tamim Iqbal (47) and a further 76 with Sabbir Rahman (35) as Bangladesh cruised to victory.

Having been put in to bat, Ireland got off to a poor start as the dangerous Paul Stirling fell

to Mustafizur for a duck in the second over.

Bangladesh’s young seamer also accounted for Niall O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson to leave Ireland reeling on 136-7, despite 46 at the top of the order from Ed Joyce.

It was Sunzamul who brought Joyce’s innings to an end and the left-armer went on to dismiss Barry McCarthy for his second scalp before Mashrafe brought the innings to a close with two wickets in the 47th over.

Sarkar and Tamim soon had Bangladesh firmly on course in reply and victory for the visitors never looked in doubt. (Sportsmax)

38

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Karn, Bumrah carry Mumbai into fourth IPL final THE 2017 IPL final will be a repeat of Tuesday’s first qualifier, with Mumbai Indians facing Rising Pune Supergiant.

Mumbai Indians made the most of a second chance to reach the Indian Premier League final, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in yesterday’s qualifier in Bangalore.

The table-toppers at the end of the regular season, Mumbai, lost on home soil to Rising Pune Supergiant in Tuesday’s opening play-off fixture.

However, Rohit Sharma’s side will now get another crack at the Supergiant in Hyderabad

Jasprit Bumrah finished with figures of 3-1-7-3, the best of his T20 career (BCCI)

on Sunday, thanks largely to Karn Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, who were chiefly responsible for limiting Kolkata to a paltry total of 107.

Spinner Karn returned 4-16 from four overs, while Bumrah claimed 3-7 from three as the Knight Riders failed to build any momentum.

Ishank Jaggi (28) and Suryakumar Yadav (31) were the only batsmen to make any impact, their sixth-wicket stand of 56 at least giving Kolkata something to defend.

Yet it was no surprise to see Mumbai reach their target with relative ease, in the 15th

Thiem ends Nadal’s unbeaten run on clay

(REUTERS) Austria’s Dominic Thiem dumped seven-time champion Rafael Nadal out of the Italian Open 6-4, 6-3 yesterday to reach the semi-finals.

Beaten twice by Nadal in the space of a month, in the Barcelona and Madrid Open finals, Thiem took his revenge by handing the 30-year-old Spaniard a first clay-court defeat of the season in Rome.

The upset, after one hour 51 minutes, ended Nadal’s 17-match unbeaten run on clay.

Thiem will now take on either world number two Novak Djokovic or Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, meeting for the 18th time yesterday evening, in today’s semi-final at the Foro Italico.

The aggressive eighth

Dominic Thiem

seed had Nadal rattled from the start and broke the Spaniard in the first and fifth games to go 5-1 up before Nadal fought back to 5-4.

Thiem then broke for a 4-3 lead in the second set

with successive backhand and forehand winners and held on to leave Nadal serving in vain to stay in the match. The Austrian clinched victory on his first matchpoint as Nadal hit wide.

The Spaniard will now

focus on the French Open, where he will be aiming for a 10th title at Roland Garros.

Rising German star Alexander Zverev earlier reached the semi-final with a 7-6(4) 6-1 defeat of world number six Milos Raonic.

Zverev, 20, will face John Isner for a place in the final after the American beat Croatian Marin Cilic 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(2).

“It’s another stepping stone in my career,” Zverev told the ATP’s website. “I feel like I have played very well today. I returned very well.

“So I’m happy to be in the semis and playing John tomorrow, whom I know very well from our Saddlebrook (Florida) days. It’s going to be a great match.”

Law continues to see progress, readies for England WEST Indies coach, Australian Stuart Law, while not pleased with losing 2-1 in a home series to Pakistan, has seen enough improvements in his young charges to be hopeful about the prospects of facing England next month.

Stuart Law

“We can continue to work hard. When we get to England, we’ve got a pretty extensive preparation period before the first Test,” said

Law, pointing out that preparing properly was key to performing well against the number four Test side in the World.

According to Law, while hard work doesn’t guarantee victories, it certainly makes it more likely.

“It’s not going to guarantee us victories but it will certainly give us an idea of what we’re faced with. England are a wonderful team but we’re going there not just to compete but we’re going there to hopefully upset them,” he said.

Law’s hopes for the Test series which begins in Egbaston on August 17, is quite lofty, bearing in mind that the West Indies have gone without a win in England for 17 years.

In 13 encounters in England, the West Indies have only managed a draw twice, with all others ending in defeat.

The second Test in the

series begins on August 25 at Headingley, with the

South Africa Racing Tips Scottsville 08:25 hrs Big Blue Sea 09:00 hrs New Fort 09:30 hrs Last Winter 10:05 hrs Dark Moon Rising 10:40 hrs Blazing Winter Turffontein 08:42 hrs Musette 09:12 hrs Romany Prince 09:45 hrs Simply Royal 10:20 hrs She’s Dragon 10:55 hrs Paree English Racing Tips Thirsk 08:40 hrs Ajwan 09:10 hrs Lucky Beggar 09:45 hrs Run To The Hills 10:20 hrs Edward Lewis 10:55 hrs Zylan 11:30 hrs Key Bid 12:05 hrs Ottonian 12:40 hrs Llewellyn Newbury 08:50 hrs My Dream Boat 09:20 hrs Barrington 09:55 hrs Defoe 10:30 hrs Somehow 11:05 hrs Kit Marlowe 11:40 hrs Gracious Diana 12:10 hrs El Hayem

third Test set for September 7 at Lord’s. (Sportsmax) Newmarket 09:05 hrs Call To Mind 09:40 hrs Larchmont Lad 10:15 hrs Ekhtiyaar 10:50 hrs Di Fede 11:25 hrs Ballymore Castle 12:00 hrs Star Rock 12:35 hrs Justice Lady Irish Racing Tips Navan 09:25 hrs Caesar’s Comet 10:00 hrs Guessthebill 10:35 hrs Miss Power 11:10 hrs Finn Mc Cool 11:45 hrs Clongowes 12:15 hrs Less Of That 12:45 hrs Flirt American Racing Tips Pimlico Race 5 Everything Lovely Race 6 Barney Rebel Race 7 Recruiting Ready Race 8 Dover Cliffs Race 9 A. P. Indian Race10 On Leave Race11 Hedge Fund Race12 Projected Race13 THE PREAKNESS STAKES 1 Looking At Lee 2 Always Dreaming 3 Classic Empire

over, Krunal Pandya (45 not out) and skipper Rohit (26) having done the bulk of the work.

KKR initially slumped to 31-5, Karn doing much of the damage as he followed up by dismissing Sunil Narine in his first over and ousting Gautam Gambhir and Colin de Grandhomme with successive balls during his next set of six.

Jaggi and Suryakumar provided a glimmer of hope for their team, but another collapse was triggered when the former holed out to long-on off Karn in the 15th over.

A mighty pulled six from Nathan Coulter-Nile off Mitch-

ell Johnson took the score into three figures amid the flurry of wickets - the maximum proving nothing more than minor irritation for the bowler, who gained his revenge two deliveries later.

Mumbai’s initial progress in reply was uncertain, Piyush Chawla trapping Lendl Simmons lbw and bowling Ambati Rayudu inside the first six overs, either side of Parthiv Patel edging Umesh Yadav behind.

Rohit and Krunal responded superbly, though, and the result was inevitable from the moment Chawla was taken for 16 in the 11th over.

(Sportsmax)

Sharapova to enter Wimbledon qualifying

Maria Sharapova

AFTER being denied a French Open wildcard, Maria Sharapova has chosen to enter qualifying for Wimbledon.

Maria Sharapova has announced she will not seek a wild card entry to the main Wimbledon draw but intends to try and progress through qualifying for the grand slam event.

The Russian returned to competitive action in April after serving a 15-month ban for failing a drugs test at the 2016 Australian Open.

A five-time slam winner, the 30-year-old was denied a wildcard entry to next month’s French Open but will not be relying on that route to try and claim a berth at the All England Club in July.

“Because of my improved ranking after the

first three tournaments of my return, I will be playing the qualifying of Wimbledon in Roehampton, and will not be requesting a wild card into the main draw,” Sharapova, who withdrew from this week’s Italian Open with a thigh injury, wrote on her website.

“I have already started getting treatment on the injury I sustained a few days ago in Rome, and will begin my preparation as soon I get better.”

Sharapova won her first grand slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2004, surprising Serena Williams in the final. After her French Open snub, Sharapova was granted a wildcard to compete in the AEGON Classic in Birmingham next month.

(Sportsmax)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (SATURDAY MAY 20, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Kirk Edwards-110 (WI vs IND, 2011) Ben Cutting (SH vs RCB, April 05, 2017) Today’s Quiz: Which team topped the table at the end of the preliminary round of matches in IPL 2017?

Which team ended at the bottom of the points table?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

39

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 20, 2017

Palm Court supports Persaud ahead of CMRC MOTOR biker Kevin Persaud received a late but timely boost from popular night spot Palm Court yesterday afternoon, ahead of his trip to Jamaica for the opening round of the 2017 Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC).

Manager of the entity, Sasha Lewis, speaking at the simple presentation ceremony at its Main Street location, pledged the entity’s continuous support for the rider and expressed the hope that Guyana will secure valuable points.

“We will always support

Kevin. Everyone is depending on him to bring home points for Guyana, since he has a lot of potential, and I see him being successful in races,” she said.

Lewis also made a call for other members of the corporate sector to aid in the development of their local sportsmen and women.

Persaud, in response said, “It feels great to be sponsored by one of the biggest night clubs in Guyana; I’m very grateful for the sponsorship and hope to do them proud.”

The rider whose machine

Manager of Palm Court Sasha Lewis makes the donation to motor biker Kevin Persaud.

of choice is a 2012 Kawasaki zx 6r will be joined by John Bennett, Heemand Boodram

along with 2016 Moto America Super stock 600 champion Bryce Prince Byrce,

who is representing Guyana under the sponsorship of Mohammed’s Enterprise. He will lead the rally in the twowheel battle.

In this regard, Persaud is aiming to secure as many points as possible stating, “I’m working on it, I’m looking to be the favourite to bring home crucial points for Guyana and to do extremely well being an ambassador of Palm Court.”

The young rider also made a call on other members of the private sector to invest in local athletes.

Persaud departed these

shores last evening to be engaged in time trials today at the Jamwest Raceway followed by the competitive racing tomorrow.

The other members of the team are Rameez Mohammed, who will ply his trade in Groups 2, 3 and 4 (two-wheel drive), while Nasrudeen Mohammed will compete in Group Two. After the leg in Jamaica, the action will move to Trinidad and Tobago on July 30, followed by Barbados on September 3 then to Guyana for the final leg on November 12.

GFF to host CONCACAF Club Guyana to participate at World Jump Rope Championship and Camp Licensing workshop today THE Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), in collaboration with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), will host a Club Licensing Workshop today.

The workshop, which is scheduled to begin at 09:30hrs, is expected to have a total of 40 persons from Regional Member Associations (RMA), national associations, elite league clubs and clubs which will be in contention for promotion to the elite league, that is, two top clubs in each RMA. According to Ian Alves, the GFF’s Competitions Director, the objective of the session is to ensure all senior clubs in Guyana have their club licence.

Alves pointed out that “the efforts that club owners and administrators make in order to ensure our footballers, both male and female, have an opportunity to play football are recognised. It is with this in mind that club licensing procedure is geared to enable clubs to have proper infrastructure and the accompanying requisite regulations.”

The session will be conducted by CONCACAF Development Coordinator, Cristhian Tonelli, and will adopt a Trainer-of-Trainers approach. This is necessary to continuously enable the transfer of knowledge to RMAs and build capacity among same for club licence.

A club licence is necessary to enable participation in all CONCACAF tournaments.

Rio 2016 medals ‘need replacing’ - Games official

Mo Farah was Britain’s most successful track athlete at Rio 2016, winning gold in the 5 000m and 10 000m.

SOME of the medals handed out at Rio 2016 have begun to flake apart and need to be replaced, according to comments made by the Games communications office Mario Andrada to the AFP news agency.

“We’re seeing problems with the covering on between 6% and 7% of the medals,” said Andrada.

“It seems to be to do with

the difference in temperatures.”

An estimated 2 021 medals were handed out to competitors at the Games last summer.

The problem is mainly with the silver medals, which were made with 30% recycled materials as part of the Games’ drive for sustainability.

The Brazilian mint which manufactured the medals has been tasked with replacing them. (BBCSport)

GUYANA for the first time will participate at this year’s World Jump Rope Championship and Camp, billed for July 1 – July 10, at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida.

Adriell Wilson

Shavin Green and Mackenzie High School student Adriell Wilson will be Guyana’s representatives, according to local skipping championship organiser Lindley Langhorne.

Langhorne explained that at present, there’s no structure for skipping, but his effort through the ‘Skip to My Lou’ tournament held in Linden, was recognised by the World Jump Rope Federation and, as such, an invitation was extended.

The National Sports Commission, according to Langhorne stepped up and sponsored the airfare for the two.

Langhorne hailed the assistance given by Director of Sport Christopher Jones and the NSC, but, indicated that there’s still much ground that needs be covered financially in order to make the trip a success.

Halep through to Italian Open semis (REUTERS) - Romanian sixth seed Simona Halep swept into the semi-finals of the Italian Open in Rome by beating Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-4 yesterday.

She will now play Dutch 15th seed Kiki Bertens, who saw off Australian qualifier Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-3, in Saturday’s semi-final on the red Foro Italico clay.

“Today (yesterday) was a good match, but I can say that I could finish earlier in the second set,” said Halep, who raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set and broke Kontaveit in the opening game of the second before winning.

“But she turned it a little bit around ... she came back

Simona Halep

for a few games, and she played really, really well.”

Eighth seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina beat Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 7-6(9) and will meet either third seed or French Open champion Garbine Muguruza or ninth seed Venus Williams in the last four.

Director of Sport Christopher Jones participating at the last ‘Skip to My Lou’ tournament in Linden

World Jump Rope is an organisation that seeks to promote the growth and development of the sport of jump rope worldwide through workshops, camps, tournaments and coach training programmes.

The competition is a five-day event, comprising all the disciplines of rope skipping, followed by a twoday World Camp. There will also be a Coaches Certification workshop and Judges training sessions.

24 teams to contest Hamilton Green football tournament TWENTY-FOUR teams drawn from Georgetown, East Coast Demerara, West Demerara and Linden will contest the inaugural Hamilton Green Knock Out Cup Football Tournament, scheduled to get underway on June 17.

According to organiser of the event, former national player and coach Lennox Arthur, the Cup replaces the Mayor’s Cup tournament, which ran for more than two decades when Green was Mayor of Georgetown.

He no longer holds that office, hence the Hamilton Green Cup was adopted and, hopefully, it will be played annually, with attractive cash prizes at stake.

The tournament gets underway with a double-header card at the Victoria ground, and will see Buxton Bakewell tackle Mahaicony in the opener, while Golden Grove will face Herstelling in the feature event.

The following day, Uitvlugt of West Demerara take on Kuru Kururu, and Den Amstel oppose

Soesdyke. Both matches will be played at the Den Amstel ground, West Coast Demerara.

On June 24, the Victoria ground will then host another double-header, with Mahaica battling New Amsterdam United in the opening game and Ann’s Grove clashing with Couigars.

On June 25, the tournament will shift to the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, with yet another double-header, and the feature game brings together Mile Rock and Riddim Squad, while the opening game will be between Silver Shattas and Police.

The winning team will receive $700 000, while the other top three teams will earn $300 000, $200 000 and $100 000 respectively.

According to the rules, only teams that are affiliated to the respective associations will be allowed to participate.

The tournament is an invitational one and clubs are not required to pay an entrance fee.

Beaton earns maiden T20I call-up

GFF to host CONCACAF Club Licensing See page workshop today 39

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Veerasammy Permaul

Ronsford Beaton

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Raymon Reifer

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L-R: Walter Moore, FF Jaro coach Kristian Heames, GFF president Wayne Forde, Technical Director Ian Greenwood and Gregory Richardson. (Delano Williams photo)

Walter Moore, FF Jaro coach here for talent-spotting exercise Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Three medals for Guyana athletics team at Islamic Games

Alita Moore

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017